The theory of cognitive dissonance, developed by Festinger in the 1950s, is that when a person experiences conflicting ideas, states of emotion, or feelings, they will be driven to reduce this state of tension and will take action to return to consonance (the opposite of dissonance).Dissonance is when you have internal conflict, it is cognitive when you recognise it. The action you are driven to take to reduce or eliminate dissonance is called dissonance reducing behaviour.
Consider a consumer who bought a high value item but whose expectations have not been met. They had high expectations but their experience of the reality of the item is disappointing, they are in a state of dissonance and it sure is cognitive. What do they do, well they may be able to return the goods in which case they can perhaps rest content with the new belief they have about that item and at least they get their money back.
Assuming returning the item is not possible, they can still take action to reduce the conflict between their expectations and their initial perception of the reality of the offering. They may seek out others who have bought the item and try to get support for their decision to boost their belief in the item back to a level nearer their expectation.
Consequently, the theory can be expanded, that If asked about their views on the item, they may effectively tell a more positive tale, more in keeping with their expectations than the reality they initially found on actually getting the item. This may be a good reason to beware of other buyer's recommendations!
Cognitive dissonance is also relevant to marketing when there are conflicting claims associated with a product:
Motorcycles can be useful fun and convenient transport but they pollute the environment, are not that efficient and you are statistically more likely to be injured in an accident than by using the train. A Motorcyclist will actively play down these negatives in order to reduce dissonance between these ideas in their own heads.
Marketers need to take into account any areas associated with their offerings likely to produce cognitive dissonance and attempt to reduce it as much as possible in their communications and the products themselves.
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