Duality in consumer post-purchase attitude

The paper discusses possible inconsistencies in consumer's post-purchase attitude when faced with disconfirmed expectations. The main argument, based on an extension of cognitive dissonance theory, is that post-purchase attitude may be characterized by duality. It is argued that satisfaction with past purchase may not be closely related to intentions to repurchase because of the different functions they may fulfill. Whereas satisfaction reflects the need to justify past purchase behavior, intentions to repurchase, which are of instrumental importance, reflect learning from experience. This approach contrasts the prevalent satisfaction-intention paradigm which assumes a causal link from satisfaction with the purchase to intentions to repeat it. The specific conditions under which duality is likely to appear are specified and empirical support from a field study involving consumers who participated in guided tours abroad is presented and discussed.