A consumer who feels regret after making an expensive purchase is likely experiencing:

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The prompt presents a question about a consumer who feels regret after making an expensive purchase, and it labels the correct answer as Cognitive dissonance, but no answer options are provided to analyze. Here is a thorough, student‑friendly exploration of the concept and why cognitive dissonance is the most fitting explanation in typical multiple‑choice setups.

First, consider what cognitive dissonance means in consumer behavior. It refers to the psychological discomfort that arises when a new behavior (buying an expensive item) conflicts with existing beliefs, values, or attitudes (such as wanting to be frugal or believing the purchase was unnecessary). This tension motivates the consumer to reduce the discomfort, often through justifications, comparisons, or revisiting the decision.

If one were to encounter alternative options commonly seen in this topic, we can compare them to cognitive dissonance:

Option typically labeled: Cognitive dissonance
- Why it fits: It directly accounts for the sense of regret after a costly purchase, due to internal inconsistency between wanting to save money and having spent a large sum. The regret is the emotional cue that the mind uses to resolve the inconsistency, which aligns with established theory on post-purchase feelings.
- Common mechanisms to reduce it: seeking information that justifies the purchase, focusing on positive attributes of the product, or discounting the negatives; this is a typical pattern described in consumer psychology.

Option typically labeled: Buyer’s remorse (a common phrasing for post‑purchase regret)
- Why it might be considered incorrect here: Buyer’s remorse is a specific form of regret after a purchase, but cognitive dissonance is the broader theoretical framework that explains the underlying psychological conflict, including how attitudes may adjust to align with the action. In many exams, Buyer’s remorse could be treated as an instance or outcome of cognitive dissonance rather than a separate construct.
- Potential pitfall: If a question distinguishes between cognitive dissonance (the internal clash) and remorse (the feeling), the remorse label may be seen as describing the symptom rather than the root cause.

Option typically labeled: Sunk cost fallacy
- Why it’s less fitting: The sunk cost fallacy involves continuing an investment due to prior costs, not regret after making the purchase. It explains why someone might justify the purchase, but not the origin of the regret itself.
- Distinction: Cognitive dissonance explains the discomfort from the mismatch between beliefs and action, whereas the sunk cost idea explains continued justification rather than the initial feeling of regret.

Option typically labeled: Regret from impulse buying
- Why it’s plausible but incomplete: Impulse buying can lead to regret, but the core mechanism is not necessarily the broader dissonance between beliefs and actions; it emphasizes lack of premeditation rather than the cognitive inconsistency. Cognitive dissonance still provides a broader framework that encompasses impulse purchases when they clash with long‑term goals or values.

In summary, when a consumer reports regret after a costly purchase, cognitive dissonance offers a robust explanation because it centers on the psychological discomfort from conflicting cognitions and justifications following the purchase. Other options may describe symptoms (remorse) or narrow processes (impulse buying) but do not capture the general internal conflict as effectively as cognitive dissonance.

Note: If you have the original list of answer options, I can map each option precisely to these explanations and tailor the reasoning to reflect the exact wording used in your question set.

2025Spring-MKT3500-01 S18: Exam 2

A consumer who feels regret after making an expensive purchase is likely experiencing:

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