Answer:
a. is a state of tension produced when related cognitions are inconsistent.
Explanation:
Cognitive dissonance: In social psychology, the term cognitive dissonance was introduced by Leon Festinger during 1957. It states that human beings desire to gain internal consistencies to make their cognitions work properly or mentally.
Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort faced by an individual who possesses conflicting beliefs, ideas, or values at the same period in time.
In the question above, cognitive dissonance refers to a state of tension produced when related cognitions are inconsistent.