Political Psychology Questions
Cognitive dissonance theory explains political attitude change by suggesting that individuals experience psychological discomfort when they hold conflicting beliefs or attitudes. When confronted with information or experiences that challenge their existing political attitudes, individuals may feel a sense of cognitive dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, they may either change their attitudes to align with the new information or engage in selective exposure and interpretation of information to maintain consistency. This theory suggests that political attitude change occurs as individuals strive to reduce cognitive dissonance and achieve a more consistent belief system.