An Application of Attribution in Consumer Decision Making and Defense Against Post Purchase Dissonance - A Study of Rural Consumer Behaviour

Consumer behaviour is the core of marketing function. Its understanding is difficult, but it is an unavoidable segment in understanding the marketing function and environment. Consumer behaviour consists of the actions, reactions and responses in relation to the product bought and service sought. The factors like personality, perception and attitude, learning on one hand and the product, price, physical attributes, advertising, decision situations and societal influence on the other, shape the behaviour of the consumers. Therefore, a marketer has to understand these elements for a better understanding of the customer and deal with him. Interestingly, the consumer's reactions to the marketing aspects remain slow. In many instances, the consumer is not prepared to quarrel with the trader or supplier to redress his grievance in relation to the product. Particularly in India, the consumers have belief and faith in God and fate. Thus, they try to give some reason for their fate and provide a satisfactory answer to themselves. They try to defend themselves by the answer and rationalize their purchase. This kind of satisfying with a reason is attribution. This attribution of rationality by the consumers markedly differs-by a variety of factors that influence the consumer behaviour. It is obvious that in judging the rationality, quality is an important criterion. The research paper intends to examine the behaviour of customers in relation to the quality judgement and the application of attribution model in understanding the defensive behaviour.