A state of psychological tension or post purchase doubt that a consumer may experience after making a purchase decision. This tension often leads the consumer to try to reduce it by seeking supportive information. It can be alleviated by customer after-care, money-back guarantees, and realistic sales presentations and advertising campaigns. Leon Festinger propounded this theory in 1957. According to this theory people are motivated to reduce the negative feelings caused by dissonance by somehow
making things fit with one another. The theory focuses on situation in which two cognitive elements are inconsistent with one another. Dissonance reduction can occur either by eliminating, adding or changing inconsistency between the elements.
