Theory and Practice as It Relates to Human Interaction and Behavior - Essay Example

section/# Cognitive Dissonance: Theory and Practice as it Relates to Human Interaction and Behavior It is without question that advertising and marketing heavily relies upon psychological instruments in order to integrate with the potential consumer. The fact of the matter is that advertising has become something of an art form in which marketers have sought to leverage various aspects of human psychological mechanisms as a way of convincing the potential buyer that they should buy a particular product or utilize a particular service. One of the most effective means by which this can be leveraged is with regards to what is known as cognitive dissonance. For purposes of this analysis, cognitive dissonance will be understood as a process whereby the advertiser is able to evoke a key level of differential, as well as direct and indirect appreciation for this, within the mind of the individual who is impacted by such advertising. Although seeking to measure such a dynamic and marketing and psychological advertising would necessarily require a dissertation length response, this brief analysis will seek to engage the reader with an understanding of how celebrity within advertising works to create a more favorable impression with regards to the imagery and understanding of the product itself. Furthermore, as a means of performing such an analysis, it will be necessary to engage the reader with a discussion and appreciation of the means by which consciousness, social psychology, and motivation (as well as many subcategories of each of these) all work together to affect such an end in the minds of the potential consumer. Moreover, three specific academic studies will be utilized as a means of drawing inference upon the hypothesis of this research which regards the understanding that celebrity influences a great deal upon the level in which a potential consumer has to interact with the given good/service/product. Likewise, the first of these studies which will be engaged is with respect to the level to which consciousness factors into the way in which the potential consumer engages with celebrity endorsement and/or celebrity suggestion. This helps to focus a level of analysis upon the ultimate degree to which cognitive dissonance can be affected within a celebrity endorsement. Ultimately, the way in which the marketer seeks to portray overall consciousness within a product offering is almost invariably linked to an identification of self awareness. For instance, the article in question “Celebrity Selection & Role of Celebrities in creating Brand Awareness and Brand Preference” elaborates upon the way in which a celebrity endorser necessarily exhibits upon the consumer a heightened sense of self-awareness as a result of personal appearance, social class, or overall beauty and societal standing in general (Patra & Datta, 2012). Whereas a product can of course be sold based upon its utility and merit alone, advertisers and marketers in general usually rely upon celebrity endorsements as a means of giving their product an edge. Although this is something of a dangerous position, if pulled off correctly, it can integrate with the potential audience and resonate in a way that merely presenting the product by itself or with the professional actor may not. Invariably, with the exception of radio, celebrity endorsements are a means of heightening the self awareness of the potential consumer and integrating the understanding that they too can somehow mirror the behavior, actions, fashion, or general trendiness that the celebrity necessarily engenders. As a result of the way that global culture has grown to esteem celebrities to such a high degree, the psychological ramifications of celebrity endorsement are profound (Oshikawa, 2009). This fundamental understanding of the way in which society has come to appreciate the celebrity as the hallmark of good taste and the so called “good life” is another indicator with regards to the way in which the reader should seek to understand and relate to the way in which celebrity advertising is able to integrate to such a great and actionable degree within the consumer base. Yet another profound means by which celebrity endorsement is able to integrate with potential consumer on a psychological level is with regards to the social psychology that such an approach necessarily engenders. As compared to the first discussion which has been listed above, the social psychology approach necessarily impacts upon the levels of influence, compliance, and what is known as the bystander effect. This particular level of social psychology is perhaps one of the most profound with regards to the level in which celebrity endorsements of a particular product engages with the potential consumer. For instance, the social psychological perspective helps to explain why an individual might be convinced to make specific purchases as a result of a celebrity endorsement; whereas they may not have been convinced to make without it. This is of course affected through a level of influence and ethos that the celebrity endorser is able to engage the consumer with. The specific dynamic is discussed within Ali Pughazhendi’s article entitled “A Study on Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement on Product Advertisements” where the social psychological aspect celebrity endorsements are measured as compared to the absence thereof (Pughazhendi et al., 2012). What the researchers found was that a market and noticeable differential existed with regards to consumer behavior as a direct result of the celebrity endorsement. Moreover, the researchers noted that this level of differential was most likely the result of the fact that a social psychological interpretation of the messages that these celebrity endorsers engendered was necessarily integrated with by the end consumer. Of all of the different approaches which can be utilized as a means of creating a level of cognitive dissonance with regards to celebrity endorsements and advertising, it is perhaps this determinant that is the most powerful. For instance, the reader does not need to think for a very long time in order to remember a recent advertisement, or form of marketing, in which the advertiser sought to portray something of an ideal life via the mechanism of a celebrity endorser. This understanding of an ideal life quickly begins to work on the cognitive dissonance of the viewer/participant due to the fact that it reminds them of their overall inadequacy and lack as compared to what is being presented to them on the screen, in print, or in any other form of media engagement. This cognitive dissonance therefore creates a situation in which the individual who is interacting with the advertising desperately seeks to correct this inherent “fault”, as they see it, by engaging in whatever suggested behavior and/or purchase is projected by the advertisement in question. This of course plays off the very basic understanding that the cognitive dissonance which is defined via such an activity of advertising, or media integration, encourages the participant (viewer/listener/reader) of this media to engage in a course of action to remedy this dissonance; invariably the purchase of a given product or service. In such a way, although there are many other aspects that necessarily affect the way in which consumer behavior is realized within the market, the researchers of this particular article come to the same understanding that this author has previously listed; that of fact that the social psychological impact of celebrity endorsements is necessarily one of the strongest motivators for individuals to behave in which they do. Leveraging this, it comes as little surprise to the reader that celebrity endorsements have seemingly grown in an exponential manner over time; with nearly a 30% increase over the past two decades. This is of course not confined to the typical understanding of celebrities being actors; rather, it includes athletes, singers, and musicians of various varieties. The final component which will be discussed within this brief analysis is with regards to motivation. Motivation within the psychological framework of understanding celebrity endorsements is something of a “catch all approach” in which prior levels of psychological impact that have been discussed are necessarily included to a small degree. Within this together framework of understanding, theories of human sexuality, productivity, and extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are necessarily included. As a function of this particular level of analysis, the reader can come to understand that the ethos that the celebrity endorser is able to engage the audience with in and of itself is not alone. Rather, this motivation must be translated in order to specifically engage the individual with regards to the aforementioned metrics and only then can a response affect be generated. Although it may not be realized by the average viewer/participant within the media, celebrity endorsers engage the individual within several specific and highly common modes of motivation. Oftentimes, these are related to beauty/human sexuality, the level to which productivity can be assumed inferred (power dynamics), and a hierarchical ranking of intrinsic versus extrinsic value. One particular article that discusses these nuances of motivation is that of Aaron Elberse and Jessica Verleun’s work entitled “Selection & Role of Celebrities in Creating Brand Awareness and Brand Preference”. Within this particular article, the authors analyze the means by which advertisers utilize celebrity endorsers to approach the consumer from a multi-layered motivational approach (Elberse & Verleun, 2012). Due to the fact that all consumers cannot be engaged upon the same topics, the authors seek to make a quantification analysis of the most common means by which this motivation is engaged (Sonwalkar et al., 2011). As has been discussed within the first part this paragraph, it was determined that motivation related to human sexuality, power dynamics, and hierarchical ranking of intrinsic versus extrinsic value the three most common approaches with her utilized. As a means of understanding this, the reader can and should integrate with the general assumption and understanding that celebrity endorsement in and of themselves are not one dimensional. Instead, the reader can appreciate the fact that the advertisers seek to integrate with the largest sub-section of the general population based upon key dynamics and psychological indicators that are referenced throughout the broadest swaths of society. As can and should be noted from the preceding analysis, these trends and level of psychological integration are almost invariably ranked rather low on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; choosing to appeal to the desire of the individual to be sexually attractive and/or fit in to a greater or lesser degree with the society in which they interact. Although there are a number of takeaways that can be gleaned from the information which has been presented above, both with respect to the original ideas from this author as well as the inference which can be gained from the research studies which a been listed, the most important take away is necessarily with regards to the multifaceted and multilayered approach that celebrity endorsements are able to engender within the potential consumer. Whereas it may be easy for the reader to look at how celebrity endorsements impact upon different layers of psychology, the fact of the matter is that regardless of the level of understanding, such an approach necessarily works and has worked to a great degree in order to positively present products to the consumer base. As such, the use and implementation of cognitive dissonance with regards to presenting the media participant with an understanding of their inadequacy is a primal and core function that has been utilized and advertising since its very inception. In short, cognitive dissonance is one of the most profound and powerful tools which marketers and advertisers can utilize as a means of both overtly and subliminally motivating the stakeholders in question. By very nature of human nature, it is the desire and intent of each and every human being to measure themselves, at least in some way, as compared to their fellow stakeholders within society. In such a way, advertisers are keenly aware of the fact that seeking to encourage a level of measurement as compared to their fellow socioeconomic strata is both ineffective and wasteful. In such a manner, they have wisely chosen to engage the individual media participant with a cognitively dissonant representation of how they compare with regards to a celebrity who seemingly “has it all”. References Elberse, A., & Verleun, J. (2012). The economic value of celebrity endorsements. Journal of Advertising Research, 52(2), 149-165. doi:10.2501/JAR-52-2-149-165. Patra, S., & Datta, S. (2012). Celebrity selection & role of celebrities in creating brand awareness and brand preference. Journal of Marketing & Communication, 8(2), 48-57. Oshikawa, S. (2009). Can Cognitive Dissonance Theory Explain Consumer Behavior?. Journal Of Marketing, 33(4), 44-49. Pughazhendi, A. A., Baskaran, K., Prakash, M. R., & Balamurugan, R. N. (2012). A study on effectiveness of celebrity endorsement on product advertisements. Far East Journal of Psychology & Business, 6(3), 11-18. Sonwalkar, J., Kapse, M., & Pathak, A. (2011). Celebrity impact - A model of celebrity endorsement. Journal of Marketing & Communication, 7(1), 34-40. Read More