Jake’s wife wants him to quit smoking and nags him constantly. Jake is a nurse who jokes that ‘everyone dies eventually’ and that it is better to ‘do things you like before you die than worry about death all the time’. Jake’s joking is an example of _______.
Explanation
Answer: D - Cognitive dissonance is an unpleasant inner feeling of conflict when a person holds two views that are cognitively at odds.
Key Takeaway: Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two opposing views. Being cognizant of these views causes the person to feel uncomfortable and to seek some release from the discomfort. Jake’s joking about death is an indication that he, as a nurse, understand that smoking does lead to lung cancer which is a highly lethal form of cancer. However, Jake is also a smoker, which is a habit that is very difficult to kick. Being a smoker and a nurse presents Jake with uncomfortable knowledge that ‘he should know better’. To relieve this discomfort, Jake cracks jokes about the eventual nature of death.
