According to cognitive dissonance theory, soldiers may reduce their guilt about killing innocent civilians during wartime by __________.
A) dehumanizing their victims
B) killing more enemy soldiers
C) going into therapy
D) telling themselves that the war is almost over

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when individuals' beliefs and behaviors are in conflict, they experience psychological discomfort, or dissonance. In the case of soldiers who may feel guilt about killing innocent civilians, they may reduce this dissonance by dehumanizing their victims, essentially convincing themselves that the civilians were not really "people" deserving of empathy or protection. This allows the soldiers to maintain their pro-war beliefs and justify their actions, reducing their feelings of guilt. The other options provided (killing more enemy soldiers, going into therapy, and telling themselves the war is almost over) do not directly address the psychological mechanism of cognitive dissonance that underlies this process.

According to Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Soldiers May Reduce Their Guilt