Pat Smokes Cigarettes and Strongly Believes That Doing So Is

question 153

Multiple Choice

Pat smokes cigarettes and strongly believes that doing so is bad for one's health. On a health questionnaire, Pat initially answered "No" to the question, "Do you engage in any health-harming behaviours?" Pat felt uncomfortable with that answer and changed it to "Yes." Of the alternatives below, Pat's answer-changing behaviour best reflects the notion of:

• A) self-serving biases.
• B) cognitive dissonance.
• C) counterattitudinal behaviour.
• D) self-perception theory.

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Definitions:

Subjective Discomfort

Emotional distress or emotional pain.

Psychological Disorders

encompass a wide range of mental health conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior, often requiring clinical intervention.

Psychodynamic Model

An approach in psychology that emphasizes systematic study of the psychological forces underlying human behavior, feelings, and emotions.

Unconscious Mind

Level of the mind in which thoughts, feelings, memories, and other information are kept that are not easily or voluntarily brought into consciousness.