Dave is consistently ten to fifteen minutes late to work every morning. His wife explains to him that this is stealing from his employer. Dave has always considered himself to be an honest person, he therefore justifies the time theft by explaining to his wife that he is not paid enough for the hard work he does so he considers the time part of his salary. Dave changed his attitude in order to justify his actions thereby
A)reducing cognitive dissonance
B)fulfilling the prophecy of self
C)changing his behaviour to match his attitude
D)averting possible negative reinforcement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dave is experiencing cognitive dissonance because his actions (being late) conflict with his self-perception as an honest person. By justifying his lateness as part of his salary, he reduces this dissonance.

Dave Is Consistently Ten to Fifteen Minutes Late to Work