Emotions Are Responsible For Consumer Decision Making

Emotions are Responsible For Consumer Decision Making

Introduction

After a long period in which consumers were assumed to make largely rational decisions based on utilitarian product attributes and benefits, in the last two decades, marketing scholars have started to study emotions evoked by marketing stimuli, products and brands. Many studies involving consumer emotions have focused on consumers' emotional responses to advertising, and the mediating role of emotions on the satisfaction of consumers. (Dean 2001) Emotions have been shown to play an important role in other contexts, such as complaining, service failures and product attitudes. Emotions are often conceptualized as general dimensions, like positive and negative affect, but there has also been an interest in more specific emotions. Within the latter stream of research, some researchers use a comprehensive set of specific emotions. Other researchers concentrate on one or several specific emotions, such as surprise, regret, sympathy and empathy.

Discussion

Despite this emerging body of research, progress on the use of emotions in consumer behavior has been hampered by ambiguity about two interrelated issues, viz., the structure and content of emotions. First, with regard to structure, some researchers examine all emotions at the same level of generality, whereas others specify a hierarchical structure in which specific emotions are particular instances of more general underlying basic emotions. Second, and relatedly, there is debate concerning the content of emotions. Should emotions be most fruitfully conceived as very broad general factors, such as pleasure/arousal or positive/negative affect? Alternatively, appraisal theorists argue that specific emotions should not be combined in broad emotional factors, because each emotion has a distinct set of appraisals. (Tanner 2006) The confusion concerning structure and content of emotions has hindered the full interpretation and use of emotions in consumer behavior theory and empirical research.

At the superordinate level, it distinguishes between positive and negative affect. This is generally considered to be the most abstract level at which emotions can be experienced (e.g., Berkowitz, 2000 Leonard Berkowitz, Causes and consequences of feelings, Cambridge University Press. At the level of basic emotions, we specify four positive (contentment, happiness, love, and pride) and four negative (sadness, fear, anger, and shame). At the subordinate level, we distinguish between 42 specific emotions based on Richins' CES. Our empirical study provides support for the proposed model and suggests that the basic emotions allow for a better understanding of the consumers' feelings concerning certain food products compared to only positive and negative affect. Note that not in all situations this model need be used as a whole. (Tanner 2006)Dependent on the research question, only part of the model may be used. However, even in such cases, the researcher can still relate his/her specific results to the broader structure of our emotions. This makes it easier for emotions research to cumulatively build on each other and to identify gaps in our knowledge.

Now that the final product has been decided on, at this stage the family actually goes and purchases the product. The user and buyer are not necessarily the ...