In this assignment, you will assess how your attitudes and behaviors connect in order to understand how cognitive dissonance as a cognitive process can influence the way you think and what attitudes y

In this assignment, you will assess how your attitudes and behaviors connect in order to understand how cognitive

dissonance as a cognitive process can influence the way you think and what attitudes you hold. This assignment is divided

into three parts, so it is suggested that you begin working on it in advance.

Part I: Pick a debatable issue that you think is important to address in society today (e.g., universal healthcare). Write a

paragraph discussing why you care about and agree with the importance of this issue, and why others should care about

this issue as well. Allow one day before moving on to the next part.

Part II: Make sure at least one day has passed since writing the first paragraph. Now, write another paragraph detailing what

you personally do to promote this viewpoint. What actions do you take to support this cause? How have you specifically

contributed to promoting this issue in the recent past? You will include both of these paragraphs in your essay.

Part III: To complete your essay, identify your chosen topic in an introductory section and include your paragraphs from

Parts I and II. Then, reflect on your previous responses by addressing the following points.

a. Discuss the differences between your arguments from the first paragraph (in which you show the importance of the

topic) and the second paragraph (in which you discuss how you personally act on your viewpoint). Are your attitudes

about the importance of the issue reflected in your behaviors (i.e., is there dissonance between your attitudes and

your behaviors)? How do you feel about the level of dissonance between your attitudes and behaviors?

b. Elaborate on whether you think that your opinion of the importance of this topic has changed, particularly thinking

about your initial thoughts on the topic before you wrote either paragraph.

c. Briefly describe how experiencing cognitive dissonance about a debatable issue may make a person more

susceptible to social influence, such as conformity, from others who hold opposing opinions.

Throughout your discussion, incorporate research on cognitive dissonance from your textbook or another resource to support your claims.

Your response should be at least two pages in length, and you must use at least two academic sources as references, one

of which may be your textbook. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted

material must have accompanying citations. Please format your essay and all citations in accordance with APA guidelines.