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Do prophecies in fact fail? A small group led by spirit mediums, infiltrated by social scientists, and reported on at intervals by the press: Together, these different parties create a sequence of mutual misunderstandings that leads both to a series of missed appointments with flying saucers from distant planets and to success in averting a global catastrophe. This volume proposes a re-reading of Leon Festinger's classic work on cognitive dissonance, offering a different account of the motivations and meanings of a group expecting the arrival of spacemen from another planet and anticipating the End of the World, and incorporating the social scientists who studied them into the picture. The author explores the relations between anthropology and psychology and between social scientific and natural scientific accounts of human behaviour, contributing to ideas about the role of science in contemporary society and to the sociology of secrecy.--Publisher's description.

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.

\"What happens when art, which usually purports to soothe us, actually disturbs us? What affective distortions do aesthetic experiences afford us when solace isn't the ultimate ambition? What happens when art fails, or when we fail to engage with art? ... [This book] explores how the contemporary novel is increasingly shifting the way we think about art's effects on us to illuminate how novelistic mediations of and meditations on aesthetic experience are enriched by a paradoxical concern with the ineffability and inexpressibility of personal and communal losses or disasters\"-- Provided by publisher.

We propose a model to study expectation confirmation in information systems. The proposed model is based on the assimilation-contrast model and prospect theory, and suggests that both are needed to account for the magnitude and direction of the deviations between experiences and expectations. Using the technology acceptance model's (TAM) primary construct-namely, perceived usefulness-expectations and experiences were conceptualized and operationalized to test our model. Data were collected in a field study from 1,113 participants at two points in time. Using polynomial modeling and response surface analysis, we demonstrated that our model offers a good explanation of the relationship among information systems expectations, experiences, and use. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.

This study investigates the influence of time-limited discounts, use of e-wallet payments, and fear of missing out (FOMO) on online impulsive buying and subsequent post-purchase cognitive dissonance among public university students. A total of 400 respondents from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, predominantly aged 18–19 (50.0%) and primarily female (73.7%), participated in the research. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire utilizing a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed using t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Findings indicate that participants reported above-average agreement with time-limited discounts (Mean = 3.61) and the use of e-wallet payments (Mean = 3.60), alongside elevated levels of post-purchase cognitive dissonance (Mean = 3.56). In contrast, online impulsive buying (Mean = 2.79) and FOMO (Mean = 2.32) were reported at moderate to low levels. Significant sex-based differences were observed, with male students demonstrating higher responsiveness to promotional urgency (Mean = 3.66) and use of e-wallet payments than female students. Age-related analysis revealed that older students reported significantly higher use of e-wallet payments, while younger students experienced slightly higher levels of post-purchase dissonance. Correlation results showed that time-limited discounts and FOMO were positively and significantly associated with both online impulsive buying and post-purchase dissonance. Use of e-wallet payments was positively related to online impulsive buying but not to post-purchase cognitive dissonance. Online impulsive buying demonstrated a strong positive relationship with post-purchase cognitive dissonance. These findings illuminate the psychological and contextual dynamics of digital impulse buying in an emerging Southeast Asian market.

PurposePlant-based (PB) and meat-reduced (MR) diets have a positive impact on human and environmental health, yet consumer acceptance of such diets is relatively low. Research investigating factors influencing consumer behavior around PB and MR diets is emerging; however studies lack strong theoretically underpinned, comprehensive theoretical frameworks. In this paper we synthesize factors from current literature and propose a comprehensive theoretical model across different consumer dietary types (e.g. omnivore, flexitarian, pesco-vegetarian) and account for consumer cognitive dissonance to facilitate a transition to MR diets.Design/methodology/approachThe factors are examined in a five-step integrative literature review of empirical literature about PB/MR-related consumer behavior since 1989. Studies are critically assessed across four theories commonly used to explain the different antecedents of sustainable consumer behavior. We focus on the theoretical domains framework with COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation and behavior) framework, as it provides the strongest foundation for modelling the consumer behavior of interest.Findings107 studies have empirically investigated PB/MR consumer behavior. Of these, 81 studies applied some COM-B domains, but no study has captured all domains. Scant studies investigating cognitive dissonance in the PB/MR literature have been published. Different consumer dietary types are featured across 47 studies; however, none of the studies comprehensively capture all dietary types and psychological discomfort in different consumer dietary types and cognitive dissonance theory.Research limitations/implicationsTo synthesize the findings of the present study, we propose an alternative model to address the before-mentioned gaps identified in our critical analysis. The alternative model captures the relationships between the 12 domains of the COM-B model constructs, psychological discomfort and consumer dietary types in the PB/MR foods setting.Practical implicationsThe proposed research model facilitates the transition from MB diets to PB diets in three ways: (1) By differentiating consumer dietary types in terms of the COM domains influencing their PB/MR behaviors, PB-producing businesses could better target their foods to hitherto overlooked consumer dietary categories, such as lacto-vegetarians or emerging categories, such as flexitarians, through more refined segmentation and sharper profiling of consumers. (2) Knowing the level of capabilities of consumers in respect of cooking skills and knowledge about purchasing and preparing PB foods could help marketers develop strategies to improve buyers' skills and knowledge. (3) With an understanding of the opportunities (from the Opportunity domain of the COM-B model), including environmental context and resources and social influences, PB food businesses could more effectively market their PB food products. (4) It provides an understanding of capability, motivation and opportunity factors separately but also the interrelationship between these COM domains, as all these variables are intertwined.Social implicationsOur ILR with the proposed model and the resulting research helps facilitate progress in the transition to PB diets necessary for more sustainable global food production and consumption.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to critically assess existing PB/MR literature regarding each of the COM-B domains, psychological discomfort and the six dietary types. We propose an alternative research model to address the gaps in literature and explain the antecedents and moderators in PB/MR dietary transition. The proposed model may provide information for practitioners and future researchers to understand a wider range of relevant factors influencing consumer’s behavior in transitioning to PB/MR diets.

PurposeThe discontinuous usage behavior of short video social media presents an ongoing challenge to platform development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents of intentions to short media discontinuous usage.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a Cognition–Affection–Conation (CAC) framework to analyze short video social media discontinuous intention on the basis of cognitive dissonance theory (CDT) and self-efficacy theory. The empirical evaluation of the research model was conducted using SmartPLS 2.0 and was based on questionnaire data obtained from participants in China.FindingsThe results show information overload and user addiction have a significant positive association with cognitive dissonance, which is, in turn, found to significantly impact discontinuous usage intention. Self-efficacy moderates the relationships between information overload, user addiction, cognitive dissonance and discontinuous usage.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the understanding of the factors that influence short video discontinuous usage intention and it achieves this by engaging from a CDT perspective and by applying Self-Efficacy Theory. Theoretical implications for future short video platform research, as well as practical suggestions for short video platform operators and users, are also discussed.

This article explores resonant listening as an integral aspect of preaching, transcending physical church spaces. It underscores the active engagement of listeners in participatory listening to grasp the essence of a sermon. Resonant listening, characterised by an attentive disposition intertwined with individuals’ recollections of God’s redemptive acts and everyday experiences, is crucial for sense-making in life. The research question guiding this exploration is: “How can an elucidation of resonant listening connected to listeners’ remembrances and their endeavour to make sense of life enable them to find meaning?” Drawing on Osmer’s research methodology, the article begins with the descriptive empirical phase, investigating the dynamics of resonant listening among listeners. It then delves into insights from communication sciences and social psychology, elucidating the significance of resonant listening and memory in decision-making processes. Moreover, it offers normative perspectives through an examination of John 4, analysing cognitive triggers, memories, and the outcomes of resonant listening in Jesus’s interaction with the Samaritan woman. Finally, the article concludes by intertwining hermeneutical reflections with homiletical perspectives, highlighting the indispensable role of resonant listening in effective preaching.

PurposeCriticality cognitions regarding the same workplace event often differ between leaders and employees. Nevertheless, its consequences on employee work outcomes remain unknown. In this study, we draw on cognitive dissonance theory to examine how and why leader–employee differences in cognitions of workplace event criticality impact employee job-related outcomes.Design/methodology/approachWu used multilevel polynomial regression analyses from a time-lagged, multi-source field study with 145 leader–employee dyads to test our proposed model.FindingsLeader–employee differences in cognitions of workplace event criticality can bring both benefits and perils to employees. Specifically, such differences can cause employee rumination, which in turn leads to an increase in both employee voice and fatigue.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the event and cognitive discrepancy literature in four ways. First, prior event studies largely adopted a singular employee perspective for investigation (e.g. Chen et al., 2021; Lin et al., 2021). By examining the impacts of event criticality from the dual perspective of leaders and employees, we attain a more comprehensive understanding of the implications of workplace events in organizational life. Second, extant studies have predominantly focused on the dark side of cognitive discrepancy (e.g. Bashshur et al., 2011; Erdogan et al., 2004; Grandey et al., 2013). Our study reveals that leader–employee differences in criticality cognitions can have both a bright and a dark side on employee outcomes, offering a more balanced and dialectical view of the consequences of cognitive discrepancy. Third, drawing on cognitive dissonance theory, we introduce employee rumination as an underlying mechanism to explain the impacts of leader–employee differences in criticality cognitions on employee voice and fatigue. Finally, while prior cognitive dissonance research has primarily employed an intrapersonal perspective (e.g. Sivanathan et al., 2008; Pugh et al., 2011; Grandey et al., 2013), our study adopts an interpersonal lens and underscores that interpersonal differences in cognitions can also serve as an example of cognitive discrepancy to instigate internal dissonance processes. By doing so, we enrich our understanding of cognitive dissonance theory.

Adding gamification elements to non-gamified platforms has become increasingly pervasive. Nevertheless, our understanding of the real psychological state of users during their game participation and how gamification design affects these users’ behaviors remains limited. Guided by cognitive dissonance theory and by using the case of Ant Forest, a typical gamification platform in China, we build a research model to investigate the effects of visibility of achievement and privacy concerns on gamification platform users’ psychology and behaviors. We conduct a questionnaire survey on 265 users with Ant Forest usage experience. Empirical results show that visibility of achievement, privacy concerns, and their interaction lead to users’ ambivalence, which in turn leads to intermittent discontinuance. This study introduces the ambivalence perspective to extend the research on the psychological state of gamification platform users from one to two dimensions. This study also links the antecedents and outcomes of ambivalence to examine its systematic impact on users’ intermittent discontinuance from a broader perspective and to provide valuable insights for operators and designers that guide them in developing platforms that meet users’ needs and foster their engagement.