A Study on the Impact of Consumer Attitude Change on Post-Purchase Cognitive Dissonance

Kim, Tae-Hyoung(Dept. of Business Adm. The Graduate School of Yonsei University)

The purpose of the present study is to understand three types of consumer attitude change - i.e. the cancellation of purchase behavior, the emphasis on the merits of a chosen product or the failure to notice the merits of any unchosen product, and the attitude that consumers presuppose that results will be similar whether they choose any product. Based on such understanding, we find out how consumers decrease their dissatisfaction on products according to the product's involvement level, and thereby provide a guide to establish marketing strategies to meet the consumer attitude change.

For a review of the theoretical background the essence and function of attitude, three theories about consumer attitude - congruity theory, balance theory, and cognitive dissonance theory - were understood, and then cognitive dissonance after having purchased a product was closely reviewed.

For the empirical study, 200 university students in Seoul and Kyeong-Ki Do were selected by a convenience sampling method and a questionnaire survey was administered to them.

These data from those respondants were analyzed through frequency analysis, Chi-square test, Two Factors ANOVA, and mean plots.

Summarized results from such an analytical study are as follows:

First, it appears most frequently in high involvement products that the change of consumer attitude to decrease cognitive dissonance happens by cancelling the purchase behavior of any product which was already purchased - i.e. by returning the product to the seller, thereby receiving the money paid for the product which was already purchased, or by requesting the replacement of any product which was already purchased, thereby receiving a new product.

Second, it appears most frequently in high involvement products that the change of consumer attitude to decrease cognitive dissonance happens by emphasizing some meritorious points of a product which was already chosen, or by intentionally overlooking some good points of the product not chosen - i.e. by inquiring into the information which supports the consumer's decision of purchase or by avoiding the information that increases cognitive dissonance.

Third, it appears most frequently in high involvement products that the change of consumer attitude to decrease cognitive dissonance happens by thinking that the results will be the same whether they choose another product or not.

Fourth, a type of consumer attitude change chosen under the circumstances of cognitive dissonance is chosen differently by the consumer according to the product's involvement level.

Based on the results made so far, it is suggested that the firm's marketing strategy meet the change of consumer attitude in order to induce re-purchase by consumers under the circumstances of cognitive dissonance in post-purchase situations.

Key Words : cognitive dissonance, consumer attitude change, product's involvement level, attitude theory