4.2.B—Explain how belief perseverance and cognitive dissonance apply to attitude formation and change

Explain how belief perseverance and cognitive dissonance apply to attitude formation and change.

• Belief perseverance occurs when a belief persists even if evidence suggests it is not accurate. People experiencing belief perseverance may engage in confirmation bias, thereby clinging to an attitude or belief regardless of the evidence for or against it.
• Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort that occurs when actions or attitudes are in conflict. People are motivated to reduce the discomfort by changing either actions or attitudes to be more in line with each other.