Editing Cognitive dissonance theory (section)

=='''Challenges and/or Alternative theories'''==
Taking a critical stance regarding the cognitive dissonance theory, in scientific terms, cognitive dissonance is difficult to observe, and therefore it is impossible to measure objectively. This makes cognitive dissonance a somewhat subjective concept. The word “dissonance” is also ambiguous whether it is a feeling or perception that is hard to depict. Changing well-learned behaviors to solve the "dissonance" is also a problem that is often difficult for people. Individuals may act differently from what this theory predicts depending on their own circumstances<ref name="McLeod">McLeod, S. (1970, January 1). [cognitive dissonance]. Study Guides for Psychology Students - Simply Psychology. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html
</ref>. When it comes down to it, dissonance is really nothing more than guilt when there is an inconsistency between one's self-concept and cognition of their behavior. It is more likely to happen to anxious people. Despite considerable dissonance, many people do not experience tensions as predicted by this theory.
Additionally, most experiments used students as participants, raising questions about bias in the sample. Cognitive dissonance theory has low ecological validity in many studies. This poses the question of whether the results of such experiments can be generalized<ref name="McLeod">McLeod, S. (1970, January 1). [cognitive dissonance]. Study Guides for Psychology Students - Simply Psychology. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html
</ref>.