Question

Katie is an animal lover. She also loves eating lobster. Last night, as her mother was cooking dinner, Katie saw her throw a live lobster in a boiling pot of water. She began to feel guilty and upset. These feelings can best be explained by

Answer 1

Katie's feelings can be best explained by cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort or stress that is caused by holding two contradictory beliefs or values at the same time. In this case, Katie holds the beliefs that animals should be treated with kindness, but she also enjoys eating lobster, which requires ending the animal's life. This conflict creates cognitive dissonance and causes Katie to feel guilty and upset.