An analysis of cognitive dissonance theory in the context of marketing

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological condition that threatens the balance in the humanmind and creates discomfort and stress. When the disharmony of two existing cognitions in a person is concerned, as a concept the present cognitive dissonance can be interpreted in many subjects. In the context of marketing, cognitive dissonance theory has been used to explain consumer behavior patterns and consumers' anxiety levels towards purchasing and to find solutions to how to control this anxiety. Consumer behavior has been the subject of many studies in the marketing literature. In all of the purchasing stages of the consumer, their cognitive state has an importance that will affect the purchasing action. This study aims to briefly review the original the oryandaction-oriented new theoretical developments and also touch on the effect of the theory on marketing. The consumer's anxiety of being deceived, perceived risk, expectation of satisfaction from the product, the level of the effect of unplanned purchases on cognitive dissonance, and the effect of the cognitive dissonance on re-purchase intention were analyzed. In the study, a questionnaire form was prepared and 422 participants were reached. Random easy sampling was chosen as the sampling method. Analyzes have been made and interpreted regarding the survey results.