One method of reducing dissonance would then be to reaffirm his 'goodness'.
It is possible that people with high self-esteem have more accessible positive thoughts about themselves that can successfully reduce dissonance.
This process of reducing cognitive dissonance regarding decision-making relates back to the problem of individual becoming stagnant in a course of action.
For this reason, cognitive dissonance is considered a drive state that encourages motivation to achieve consonance and reduce dissonance.
In other words, they would change their cognition in order to reduce dissonance, or the uncomfortable feeling when our actions are not in line with our cognitions.
While not a theory of motivation, per se, the theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance.
The selective perception discussed here, however, is done in order to reduce dissonance with previously held beliefs (Wheeless, 1974).
According to Sherrod (1971), there are three potential actions the voter may take to reduce dissonance in this situation.
When multiple routes are available, it has been found that people prefer to reduce dissonance by directly altering their attitudes and behaviors rather than through self-affirmation.
The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance.