The payment dilemma in movie and music downloads: An explanation through cognitive dissonance theory

•The cognitive dissonance theory serves as an efficient theoretical framework.•Our sample is representative of all strata of society.•Differences among relevant types of downloaders are identified.•Results can help improve the effectiveness of anti-piracy campaigns.

This study examines which individual characteristics help explain the differences among the groups of downloaders defined according to three common payment patterns: Downloaders who never pay, downloaders who always pay, and the eclectic downloaders who only pay at times. One distinctive characteristic for each group is theoretically hypothesized within the cognitive dissonance framework and empirically confirmed for both movie and music downloading: A more negative attitude towards newness distinguishes downloaders who never pay, a shorter Internet use history distinguishes downloaders who always pay, and participation in a greater breadth of online activities distinguishes eclectic downloaders. By contrast, neither demographics nor factors related to movie (music) interests help explain the differences among the groups of movie (music) downloaders. Both the theoretical framework and the empirical evidence might be used to improve the effectiveness of anti-piracy campaigns by adapting their messages to the specific characteristics and expected reactions of each group of downloaders.