Cognitive Dissonance: Why We Defend Bad Decisions
And How Marketers Can Work With It, Not Against It
You bought the thing. It was more than you planned to spend and less than you hoped it would be. You felt the regret. You even considered returning it.
But then you didn’t.
Instead, you reframed it:
“I probably needed a better one anyway.”
“It has some great features.”
“It’ll last longer than I thought.”
“It’s fine.”
This is not buyer’s remorse. It’s what comes after buyer’s remorse. It’s the mental reshuffling your brain performs to make a conflicting experience feel aligned with your identity or values. It’s not rationalization for the sake of logic. It’s a rationalization for the sake of peace.
Psychologists call this cognitive dissonance. In marketing, it is one of the most underestimated forces shaping how people behave after the sale.
What Is Cognitive Dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort a person feels when their actions, beliefs, or self-perception are in conflict. The concept was introduced by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957, and it has become foundational in understanding decision-making, persuasion, and behavior change.
When people experience dissonance, they don’t usually change their behavior. Instead, they adjust their thinking to resolve the discomfort. For example: If you believe you're financially responsible but make a frivolous purchase, you might say, “It was on sale” or “I deserved a treat.” If you see yourself as a good judge of character but realize a brand you support has behaved badly, you might focus on its earlier successes or downplay the issue.
The brain craves internal consistency. Dissonance is a signal that something doesn’t fit. To fix it, people often rewrite the narrative.
In marketing, this has major consequences.
Where It Shows Up in Marketing
Cognitive dissonance is not a rare event. It appears at every stage of the customer journey, especially right after conversion. Here are a few examples:
Defending a Pricey or Underwhelming Purchase
A person spends $300 on a gadget that doesn’t quite work as expected. Rather than admit it was a mistake, they focus on a single useful feature or repeat what the brand said in the product description.
Staying Loyal Despite Disappointment
A customer continues buying from a brand that has cut quality or changed policies in ways they dislike. They say, “Well, all companies are like that now,” or “They’ve been good to me in the past.”
Doubling Down on Public Endorsement
Someone publicly recommends a product or service. Even if it disappoints them later, they avoid acknowledging it to maintain consistency with their earlier statement.
Making Rational Claims for Emotional Decisions
A buyer makes a decision based on emotional appeal, but later justifies it with data or surface logic that was not part of their actual decision process.
These are not irrational behaviors. They are adaptive. People aren’t trying to fool anyone. They are trying to feel better about what they’ve already done.
The Justification Spiral
Dissonance resolution can become self-reinforcing. Once a person begins to justify a decision, they often continue reinforcing that choice over time, even if it no longer fits their needs.
This is called post-purchase rationalization.
Marketers sometimes try to counteract regret with win-back offers or refund policies. The more effective approach is usually upstream. Help customers feel that their decision remains sensible.
If you fight the narrative people have constructed to defend their decision, you risk making them feel foolish or exposed. But if you support that narrative with post-purchase value and empathy, you increase loyalty, satisfaction, and long-term retention.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Follow-up emails that reinforce the benefits of the product, especially ones the customer already values
Onboarding experiences that help users get the most from what they bought
Personalized content that reflects the buyer’s original motivation
Testimonials that echo the same justifications new buyers are likely to make
Marketing That Reduces Dissonance
The best marketing doesn’t just sell the product. It supports the self-concept the buyer wants to maintain.
Here are a few principles for reducing dissonance after the sale:
Anticipate Regret
High-ticket items or emotionally driven purchases are especially vulnerable. Address potential buyer doubts in your post-purchase messaging.
Reinforce the Buyer’s Identity
Frame the purchase as consistent with a positive self-image. Use messaging that aligns with the customer’s values or goals.
Avoid “Gotcha” Language
Don’t challenge or correct your customers after they’ve committed. Even well-meaning messages like “Most people don’t use this feature correctly” can trigger defensiveness.
Provide Reassurance Through Use
Help the buyer experience success with what they’ve purchased. Create small moments of validation that confirm the decision was a good one.
Closing Thought
Cognitive dissonance is not a bug in the customer journey. It is a built-in part of being human. People want to believe they’ve made good decisions. When their experience doesn’t quite match their expectations, they’ll try to reconcile it. That reconciliation can lead to loyalty or resentment, depending on how you respond.
Your job as a marketer isn’t just to sell. It is to support the story the customer tells themselves after the sale. Make sure that story still feels true.