1 An example of plain is using basic language to describe something. 2  An example of plain is unflavored yogurt. 3  An example of plain is a woman without make-up.
Cognitive Dissonance Definition. Cognitive dissonance occurs when tension arises between a person's attitudes or beliefs and a decision that contradicts those pre-existing modes of thinking. The psychological phenomenon also occurs when a person chooses between two equally attractive or equally unappealing options. According to the Business Dictionary's website, the most common example of cognitive dissonance in the business world is the occurrence of buyer's remorse..
The introduction of a new cognition that is dissonant with a currently held cognition creates a state of dissonance, the magnitude of which relates to the relative importance of the involved cognitions. Dissonance can be reduced either by eliminating dissonant cognitions, or by adding new consonant cognitions.