Question

Nineteen-year-old Latitia reported: “Although I was not at all sure that I really loved my boyfriend, he coaxed me into sleeping with him. After that, I convinced myself that I really did love him.” Use your understanding of cognitive dissonance theory to explain why Latitia developed such positive feelings for her boyfriend. What could Latitia do in the future to ensure that her sexual behaviors are guided by her own true attitudes and desires?

Answer 1

Latitia was coaxed into sex by her boyfriend and did not really wanted to have sex, which means that she was not sure about doing it and probably wasn't ready to do it or did not love her boyfriend enough to do it. Eventually, she does do it and after that she may has felt a guilt or uncomfortable feeling that she shouldn't have done it. To counter this dissonance between her actions and feelings, she changed her thoughts and convinced her self that she loves him. In the future, latitia should understand her feelings and should not do something which she does not want to do and something which is against her beliefs.