Neutralization techniques have been applied in various contexts but only to a limited extent in the field of consumer behavior (Chatzidakis, Hibbert, and Smith 2007) where the literature suggests that consumers who engage in illegal shopping behavior struggle with their conscience and tend to create bogus excuses. For example, Eisend and Schubert-Guler (2006) report that people who purchase pirated products are aware their behavior is illegal; yet, they justify their purchases in some way. Eisend et al. (2006) provide no theoretical explanation for the justification process in their research; however, neutralization techniques may provide that explanation for how consumers justify their incongruent or illegal behavior (Chatzidakis et al. 2007), such as buying pirated products.
展开▼
