Which concept describes the psychological discomfort from holding contradictory beliefs?

Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort experienced when a person holds contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes. This theory, developed by Leon Festinger in the 1950s, posits that individuals strive for internal consistency. When they encounter conflicting beliefs, it creates mental tension that prompts them to resolve the dissonance. This could be through changing one of the beliefs, acquiring new information to support one belief, or downplaying the importance of the conflicting belief.

For example, if someone believes smoking is harmful but continues to smoke, they may feel uncomfortable due to the contradiction between their behavior and their belief. To alleviate this discomfort, they might quit smoking or justify their behavior by downplaying the risks associated with smoking.

The other options, while related to cognitive processes, do not accurately represent the specific phenomenon of experiencing psychological discomfort from conflicting beliefs. Cognitive overload refers to being overwhelmed by the amount of information one is processing, cognitive balance suggests a state of mental equilibrium, and cognitive harmony implies a state of agreement among beliefs and values, neither of which directly addresses this inner conflict.