Final answer:
Denying the inconsistency is not a method that effectively reduces cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between a person's behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs, prompting efforts to restore consistency.
Step-by-step explanation:
People can reduce cognitive dissonance by doing several things, but one option that does not typically reduce cognitive dissonance is denying the inconsistency. Cognitive dissonance is psychological discomfort that arises when there's a conflict between a person's behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs. This discomfort prompts individuals to reconcile the inconsistency to restore harmony. People can change their behavior (e.g., quitting smoking if they believe smoking is bad), change their beliefs (e.g., dismissing the evidence that smoking is harmful), or add consonant cognitions (e.g., smoking has the benefit of weight control). However, simply denying the inconsistency without any change doesn't effectively reduce cognitive dissonance and therefore, is not a recommended method for resolving it.