What does cognitive dissonance refer to?

Cognitive dissonance refers specifically to the psychological discomfort that arises when an individual holds two or more conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or values. This discomfort often motivates a person to alter one of the conflicting beliefs or attitudes to restore harmony and reduce the dissonance. For example, if someone who values health engages in behaviors like smoking, the conflict between their actions and beliefs may lead them to modify either their behavior or their justification for smoking to alleviate the tension.

The other choices focus on different psychological concepts that do not capture the essence of cognitive dissonance. The satisfaction from making a decision relates more to decision-making processes rather than the discomfort of conflicting beliefs. Changing one’s attitude upon receiving new information aligns more with the idea of adaptability and learning, rather than the conflict represented in cognitive dissonance. The reinforcement of a group's beliefs describes social influence dynamics and conformity, which do not specifically address the internal conflict that cognitive dissonance highlights. Thus, the definition of cognitive dissonance as the psychological discomfort from conflicting beliefs or attitudes is accurate and foundational in understanding this concept in psychology.