Assignment task: Suppose that Jessica has always been a good student (did well on exams, attended all classes, and participated in extracurricular activities), but chooses to cheat on one of the final assessments. She experiences strong dissonance because she sees herself as an intelligent and trustworthy student in class, and her dishonest action is incongruent with her self-perception. According to research on self-affirmation theory, which of the following is Jessica most likely to do to reduce her dissonance?
a. She would get some chocolates and cookies for the night and forget about it.
b. She would focus on only the outcome of her dishonest act, which is getting a good grade.
c. She would say to herself, "Hey, it is okay, at least I'm a caring person and I volunteer at the homeless shelter every evening."
d. She would convince other students also to cheat alongside her