This study examines consumer behavior from the perspective of cognitive psychology. It focuses on a set of cognitive psychological determinants of buyer behavior and analyzes how cognitive dissonance, activation and involvement influence consumer behavior. The literature indicates that a deeper insight into the cognitive processes underlying purchase behavior is essential for brand managers to create and communicate interventions that may have a stronger impact on the buyer such that their brand occupies a special position in the consumer's mind. Up to now, the conflict between presenting a brand in a both favorable light and completely accurately has been rarely addressed in the literature.Keywords: Branding; Consumer Behavior; Cognitive Processes; Cognitive Dissonance.En este trabajo se examina el comportamiento del consumidor desde la perspectiva de la psicología cognitiva. Este artículo se centra en una selección de determinantes psicológicos cognitivos en la conducta del comprador y analiza cómo la disonancia cognitiva, la activación y la implicación tienen especial influencia sobre el comportamiento del consumidor. La bibliografía demuestra que es indispensable adquirir una mayor comprensión de los procesos cognitivos que afectan a las conductas de compra de los consumidores, de tal manera que los gerentes de las marcas puedan crear y transmitir intervenciones que tengan un profundo impacto en el comprador y que logren que su marca ocupe una posición distintiva en la mente del consumidor. Se considera que hasta ahora, no se ha investigado suficientemente el conflicto entre cómo presentar una marca de manera que ésta se vea beneficiada y cómo presentarla de manera veraz.Palabras Clave: Branding; Comportamiento del Consumidor; Procesos Cognitivos; Disonancia Cognitiva. Disponible online 31 de diciembre de 2011Arti Sahgal and Achim Elfering

This study examines consumer behavior from the perspective of cognitive psychology. It focuses on a set of cognitive psychological determinants of buyer behavior and analyzes how cognitive dissonance, activation and involvement influence consumer behavior. The literature indicates that a deeper insight into the cognitive processes underlying purchase behavior is essential for brand managers to create and communicate interventions that may have a stronger impact on the buyer such that their brand occupies a special position in the consumer’s mind. Up to now, the conflict between presenting a brand in a both favorable light and completely accurately has been rarely addressed in the literature.