Cognitive Dissonance Paper

Identify a situation in which an individual made a decision to engage in behavior that violated his or her values, beliefs, attitudes, and morals, such as calling in sick to work when he or she is not sick, speeding, or cheating on taxes.

Prepare a 1,100- to 1,400-word paper in which you analyze your identified situation. Address the following items:

Illustrate the situation and how the individual came to choose to make the decision that violated his or her ethics and morals.

Analyze the social, cultural, and spiritual influences on the individual's behavior. Consider the influences both for and against the decision.

Describe the reciprocal relationship between behavior and attitudes.

Explain cognitive dissonance and how the individual could have used cognitive dissonance theory to rationalize his or her behavior.