This volume provides an overview of recent research on the nature, causes, and consequences of cognitive consistency. In 22 chapters, leading scholars address the pivotal role of consistency principles at various levels of social information processing, ranging from microlevel to macro-level processes. The book'¬"s scope encompasses mental representation, processing fluency and motivational fit, implicit social cognition, thinking and reasoning, decision making and choice, and interpersonal processes. Key findings, emerging themes, and current directions in the field are explored, and important questions for future research identified.