Consumer Neuroscience Belief-based Models of Attitude

Question: Discuss the relationship between regret on cognitive dissonance. Answer: Belief-based Models of Attitude: I think the basis of persuasive research in the marketing field thrives on the belief driven attitude towards an object. Attitude essentially comprises of three components as cognitive, affective and behavioral which in turn are related among them. Salient beliefs or self perceptions generally influence the strength and evaluation outcomes. Congruent with the evidences available I understand that the nature and extremity of the attitude determines the response in an individual. Mental states associated with normative considerations, self-efficacy and behavioral modifications strongly influence the consumer choice as well (Okeefe, 2015). I find that the consumer behavior majorly impact the decision of purchase rather than the attribute of the object being purchased (Claiborne Sirgy, 2015). In my opinion, although predicting the consumer behavior may be often challenging, nevertheless due attention given to the beliefs of the buyers culminating in the attitude change will definitely f ulfill the relevant demands thereby enhancing the credibility of the endorsed product. Cognitive Dissonance Theory: The theory pertaining to psychology proposed by Festinger states that every individual have an innate inclination of possessing a consistency among their cognitive abilities encompassing certain opinions and beliefs. In case of discrepancy in these thoughts and perceptions, these conflicting ideals require to be urgently eliminated to ally contradictions and prevent any ensuing discomfort or mental stress. I feel this philosophy of dissonance may be corroborated to the real life producer and consumer scenario, and facilitate better marketing strategy. In keeping with the supporting documentations from recent research, I support the action-based theory of dissonance that underpins the presence of a dormant motivation which may be identified as the root cause for the arising conflicts in behavior (Harmon-Jones Harmon-Jones, 2012). From the information acquired, I would like to summarize that to cater to the varied demands of the consumers, the persons associated with the marketing and accessibility of the products must take into account their beliefs, values, opinions and notions regarding the specific object so as to curb the possibility of any contrasting ideals. The relationship between regret on cognitive dissonance: In view of a proportionate expenditure incurred by the business companies together with the customer services modifications, due to returning of the retailed merchandise from the consumers, the reasons may be attributed to regret on their part, eventually resulting in cognitive dissonance. Therefore, the association of regret and cognitive dissonance should be considered to implement definite marketing strategies for business expansion. The two aspects of cognitive dissonance such as the emotional dissonance and product dissonance contribute to the frequency of returning the products. The three precursors involving flexible return policies, consumer opportunism and switching barriers, terms relevant to microeconomics play significant role in cognitive dissonance and resultant product returns activities. Evidences from studies concerning the surveys conducted by the Wall-Mart as well as target customers accustomed to product returns revealed the possible linkage through structural equ ation modeling, the tool to verify and evaluate the relationship. The products return frequency was positively associated with both the emotional dissonance and product dissonance. Liberal return policy ameliorated the dual components of cognitive dissonance. Contrarily, factors related to consumer opportunism and switching barriers caused escalation of both product dissonance and emotional dissonance. Moreover, gender variation and store brand affected the association between regret and cognitive dissonance and its allied components. Thus, understanding of the consumer attitudes and beliefs depicted through product return behavior is imperative to tackle the consumer grievance issues and suit their needs accordingly. Overview of the relationship between the regret and cognitive dissonance may resolve the issue and establish congruency of thoughts in terms of product selection and usage (Oliver, 2014). References: Claiborne, C. B., Sirgy, M. J. (2015). Self-image congruence as a model of consumer attitude formation and behavior: A conceptual review and guide for future research. InProceedings of the 1990 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 1-7). Springer International Publishing. Harmon-Jones, E., Harmon-Jones, C. (2012). Cognitive dissonance theory.Handbook of motivation science, 71. O'keefe, D. J. (2015).Persuasion: Theory and research. Sage Publications. Oliver, R. L. (2014).Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge.