dissonance theory

n. The theory that people have a positive need to maintain consistency in their mental maps of themselves and the world. When experience or reasoning leads a person to realize there is a contradiction in his/her mental system, he or she experiences discomfort and is motivated to reduce or eliminate the contradiction by reducing the importance of the perceived contradiction in his/ her understanding of things, altering his/ her perception of one or both ideas or experiences, or elaborating justifications for the contradiction.