Post-purchase cognitive dissonance – evidence from the mobile phone market

Abstract

This article investigates whether cognitive dissonance exists in the post-purchase phase in the mobile phone industry. It asks if mobile phone users are fully satisfied since they are usually overloaded with information during the purchasing period. Three dimensions of dissonance were measured in 283 university students. The results provide interesting insights. The major differences between the high and low dissonance groups are being influenced by other people’s opinions, difficulty in finding information, product involvement, and satisfaction with mobile phones/operators. These findings reveal that consumers are ‘not unhappy’ with their mobile phones/operators, but not extremely happy either. However, there is ample room for improvements in the level of consumer satisfaction. Marketers should give consumers’ perceptions of communicated messages high priority. The messages need to be straightforward and clear in the consumers’ interpretation as this will reduce negative feelings after purchase.