What phenomenon is described by cognitive dissonance?

Cognitive dissonance is best described as the experience of holding two conflicting beliefs at the same time. This psychological phenomenon occurs when an individual encounters inconsistency in their beliefs, values, or attitudes, leading to discomfort or mental stress. For example, if someone values health but smokes cigarettes, they may experience cognitive dissonance due to the conflict between their health beliefs and their behavior.

Addressing this discomfort typically involves altering one of the conflicting beliefs or behaviors to restore a sense of harmony. This can lead to changes in attitude or justification of behavior, highlighting the dynamic nature of human cognition. The other concepts, while important in psychology, do not capture the essence of cognitive dissonance. Strong attachment to a caregiver pertains to attachment theory, observing others to improve behavior relates to social learning theory, and creating measurable outcomes in research deals with research methodologies, none of which define cognitive dissonance.