Why do consumers free ride? Investigating the effects of cognitive effort on postpurchase dissonance
The Journal of Consumer Marketing
; 39(5):417-431, 2022.
Article
in English
| ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-1948685
ABSTRACT
Purpose>Building on the theoretical paradigms of consumer free-riding and cognitive dissonance, this study aims to evaluate whether consumers’ cognitive effort when making a purchase decision impacts upon the relationship between free-riding habits and postpurchase cognitive dissonance.Design/methodology/approach>To explore the relationship between cross-channel free-riding, cognitive efforts and cognitive dissonance, a framework was conceptualized and empirically tested on a sample of 518 Italian consumers. Covariance-based structural equation modeling and bootstrapped mediation analysis was performed with the PROCESS macro.Findings>Results show that the more cognitively involved a free-riding consumer is, the more he/she will experience postpurchase cognitive dissonance.Originality/value>Modern consumers habitually finalize their purchase activities through multiple different channels. The abundance of e-commerce/online platforms does indeed offer consumers a plethora of alternatives to physical/offline stores. Hence, consumers have been seen to act as “free-riders.” It is becoming more and more common for consumers to seek information in physical stores and then purchase a product online more conveniently. This notwithstanding, it has emerged that free-riding consumers tend to experience cognitive dissonance – which is a sensation of emotional discomfort – after making their purchases. The causes of this phenomenon are yet to be fully unpacked.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
ProQuest Central
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Language:
English
Journal:
The Journal of Consumer Marketing
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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