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CHAPTER 5 Motivation and Emotion: Driving Consumer Behavior End of Chapter Material Discussion Questions (*) Indicates material on prep cards. 1. *Define the concept of consumer motivation. What two orientations are driven by consumer motivations? Answer: Motivations are the inner reasons or driving forces behind human actions as consumers are driven to address real needs. Behaviors are oriented by homeostasis motivation or self-improvement motivation. Homeostasis deals with the way the body naturally reacts to drive behaviors that maintain a constant, normal bloodstream. Self-improvement motivations encourage behaviors that will make one’s current state more ideal. 2. Relate regulatory focus theory to the two basic orientations of consumer behavior described above. Answer: Regulatory focus theory, following closely from the contrast between homeostasis and self-improvement, puts forward the notion that consumers orient their behavior either through a prevention focus or a promotion focus. A prevention focus corresponds closely to behaviors driven by homeostasis and a promotion focus corresponds more to self-improvement. 3. What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? List each category of needs in order, and provide an example of products associated with each. Answer: Perhaps the most popular theory of human motivation in consumer and organizational behavior is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This theory describes consumers as addressing a finite set of prioritized needs. The categories of needs are: Physiological—need for basic survival (food, drink, shelter) Safety and security—need to be secure and protected Belongingness and love—need to feel like a member of a family or community Esteem—need to be recognized as a person of worth Self-actualization—need for personal fulfillment 4. Explain the difference between hedonic and utilitarian motivation. Provide examples of each. Answer: Utilitarian motivation is a desire to acquire products that can be used to accomplish things. Utilitarian motivation holds much in common with the idea of maintaining behavior. When a consumer needs gasoline for the car, it stimulates utilitarian motivation. Hedonic motivation involves a desire to experience something personally gratifying, and these behaviors are usually emotionally satisfying as well. The desire to travel for the experience itself (not for business) is an example. 5. Can Maslow’s hierarchy of needs be used to offer a possible explanation as to why some consumers will resort to behaviors such as shoplifting, fraud, or outright theft? Answer: Yes. In particular, physiological needs provide very strong motivations, such as a drug addict seeking another fix. The addict is not concerned with anything other than satisfying this urge; if he must steal to get it, he most likely will. 6. *What is consumer involvement and what different types of involvement play a role in CB? Answer: Consumer involvement is the degree of personal relevance a consumer holds in pursuing value from some category of consumption. Different types are: Product involvement Shopping involvement Situational involvement Enduring involvement Emotional involvement 7. Define emotion. Answer: Emotion is a specific, psychobiological reaction to a human appraisal. 8. What are some visceral responses to different emotions? Answer: The student should find the examples in Exhibit 5.4 useful in this answer. When one smiles, for example, the corners of the mouth move upwards in coordination with the eyebrows. This is an automatic behavioral response. Such visceral responses to emotions are nearly impossible to control. As an example of a negative emotion, when one experiences disgust, he/she automatically draws back away from the stimulus responsible for disgust. When one is embarrassed, blood rushes to the skin and causes a blush (meaning the skin appears red)—again an automatic response. 9. Compare and contrast mood, affect and emotion. Provide examples of each in a consumer context. Answer: The student should use Exhibit 5.5 in developing the answer. Mood represents a transient and general feeling state. Affect represents the feelings a consumer has about a particular activity. It encompasses both emotion and mood. Emotions are specific psychobiological reactions to appraisals and described by categories like satisfaction, excitement, and disgust. 10. What is the difference between measuring consumer emotions with an autonomic approach and self-report approach? Which is more common and why? Answer: Autonomic measures assess emotions automatically by measuring blood pressure, brain activity or pupil dilation, and so on. Self-reports require the consumer to say what and how much emotion they feel. Autonomic measures are intrusive as they require the attachment of some type of device to the consumer. Therefore, self-reports are more common. 11. How can a slider scale be used to assess emotion? Answer: A slider scale can be used to assess emotion by presenting participants with a visual analog scale ranging from one extreme emotion to another, such as from "Very Sad" to "Very Happy." Participants are then asked to position a marker along the scale to indicate their current emotional state. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use a slider scale to assess emotion: 1. Design the Scale: Determine the range of emotions you want to assess and create a visual representation of the scale. This could be a horizontal line with labels at each end representing opposite emotional states, such as sadness and happiness. 2. Implement the Scale: Develop a digital or physical tool that allows participants to interact with the scale. This could be a slider bar on a computer screen or a physical slider on a printed survey. 3. Administer the Assessment: Present the scale to participants along with clear instructions on how to use it. Explain that they should move the slider to indicate how they are currently feeling, with one end representing one emotional extreme and the other end representing the opposite extreme. 4. Collect Data: Allow participants to adjust the slider to reflect their emotional state. Record the position of the slider as a numerical value, which can later be analyzed quantitatively. 5. Analyze Results: Once data collection is complete, analyze the recorded values to assess the distribution of emotions within your sample population. This analysis can provide insights into overall emotional states, trends over time, or differences between groups. 6. Interpret Findings: Interpret the findings of your assessment in the context of your research objectives or practical goals. Consider factors such as the average emotional state, variability within the sample, and any patterns or trends that emerge. 7. Consider Limitations: Recognize the limitations of using a slider scale to assess emotion, such as potential biases introduced by the scale design or participant interpretation. Consider supplementing the slider scale with additional measures or qualitative data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of emotions. By following these steps, a slider scale can be effectively utilized to assess emotion and provide valuable insights for research or practical applications. 12. Construct a set of semantic differentials that measure emotions by using a PAD approach. Answer: Although the actual PAD scales can be found in the consumer behavior literature dealing with shopping and retail atmospherics, students are not likely to search them out. The key is recognizing that the PAD measures emotion with semantic differentials along three dimensions. Thus, students should come up with items such as this: i. Pleasure dimension Happy __ __ __ __ __ __ Sad Satisfied __ __ __ __ __ __ Dissatisfied ii. Arousal dimension Sleepy __ __ __ __ __ __ Alert Interested __ __ __ __ __ __ Bored iii. Control dimension Helpless __ __ __ __ __ __ In control Submissive __ __ __ __ __ __ Dominating 13. What three individual characteristics influence the way in which consumers react emotionally to a consumption situation? Answer: The three characteristics are: i. Emotional involvement ii. Emotional expressiveness iii. Emotional intelligence 14. Ask three friends about their social networking behavior. Define flow. Do you think any are obtaining flow experiences from Facebook or other social networking Internet activities? Do they show any signs of addiction? Answer: Flow is a state of extremely high involvement in which a consumer is engrossed in an activity providing high hedonic value. The consumer loses sense of time passing. The signs of addiction include: spending more than an hour a day on the activity, ignoring work, feeling more attached to Facebook friends than real friends, replacing sleep with Facebook activities, getting nervous at the thought of being separated from Facebook for an extended time. 15. How do feelings end up creating meaning? Answer: The emotions experienced in association with things, events, people get stored in the associative networks in the form of schema-based affect. In this way, the emotions are semantically wired and help consumers use concepts as well as respond to situations. 16. *What is emotional contagion? Do you think it could affect the schema-based affect for some type of service provider? Explain. Answer: Emotional contagion is the idea that emotions are contagious. Consumers who perceive other consumers or employees in their vicinity as either happy or sad may experience a corresponding change in actual happiness or sadness themselves. If a consumer enters an experience with a very negative attitude toward dental hygienists but the dental hygienist appears to always be in a good mood so that it lifts the consumer’s mood, the affect associated with this category (dental hygienist) may change. 17. What are self-conscious emotions? Provide examples of appeals that evoke these emotions from advertisements. Answer: Self-conscious emotions include embarrassment, guilt, shame, regret, pride and hope. These motivate actions to restore self-esteem. Self-conscious emotions are those that involve introspection and self-evaluation in relation to social standards or norms. They often arise in response to how individuals perceive themselves in comparison to others or in relation to societal expectations. Examples of self-conscious emotions include embarrassment, shame, guilt, pride, and envy. Here are examples of appeals in advertisements that evoke these emotions: 1. Embarrassment: Ads that highlight personal hygiene products like deodorants or mouthwashes may evoke feelings of embarrassment by suggesting that not using their product could lead to social awkwardness or embarrassment in social situations. 2. Shame: Advertisements addressing sensitive topics like financial problems or health issues may evoke feelings of shame by highlighting the consequences of not addressing these issues and implying that the viewer should feel ashamed for not taking action. 3. Guilt: Charity advertisements often use guilt-inducing appeals by portraying individuals or situations in need and implying that viewers should feel guilty for not helping or contributing to the cause. 4. Pride: Luxury brands often use appeals that evoke feelings of pride by associating their products with success, achievement, or status. For example, a luxury car commercial may showcase the vehicle as a symbol of success, leading viewers to feel proud of owning or aspiring to own such a prestigious item. 5. Envy: Advertisements for luxury goods or lifestyle products may evoke feelings of envy by showcasing individuals enjoying luxurious experiences or possessions, implicitly suggesting that viewers should desire these items to keep up with others or to attain a similar level of status or satisfaction. These emotions can be powerful motivators in advertising because they tap into individuals' desires to fit in, meet social expectations, or enhance their self-image. However, it's essential for advertisers to use these appeals ethically and responsibly, considering the potential impact on consumers' well-being and self-esteem. 18. Define aesthetic labor. How does aesthetic labor affect the value proposition of service providers? Answer: Aesthetic labor refers to the effort put forth by employees in carefully managing their appearance as a requisite for performing their job well. Aesthetic labor can affect the value equation by changing the emotions in a service situation. If one is shopping for designer fashions the service providers should be fashionable and attractive. Otherwise, the contrast will likely make consumers feel uneasy. Aesthetic labor is a part of emotional labor—all of which involve concepts like emotional contagion. Group Activity *Prepare a short video that depicts the concept of aesthetic labor in the marketplace and the emotions that accompany such attempts. Pay particular attention to depicting the visceral reactions that show emotion. Either take the video in an actual services environment (ask permission before doing so, as many service establishments frown on having photos or videos taken) or act out the roles played by service providers and customers. Be prepared to explain your video in class and demonstrate how it illustrates at least five concepts from the chapter. Answer: This should be a fun activity which allows students to really appreciate the concepts of aesthetic labor, emotional contagion, emotional intelligence, visceral reactions of emotion and touch on other concepts like the measurement of emotions as well. Title: "Aesthetic Labor: Emotions in the Marketplace" [The video opens with scenes of a bustling café, with customers chatting, sipping coffee, and enjoying their surroundings. A barista, Sarah, is meticulously preparing a latte, carefully pouring steamed milk into the espresso.] Voiceover: "Aesthetic labor is the effort that service workers put into their appearance, demeanor, and emotions to create a particular atmosphere or experience for customers." [Cut to Sarah smiling warmly as she hands the latte to a customer, who takes a sip and nods appreciatively.] Voiceover: "Service providers like Sarah engage in aesthetic labor to evoke positive emotions in customers, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction." [Cut to Sarah adjusting her uniform, smoothing down her apron, and straightening her posture before greeting the next customer with a friendly smile.] Voiceover: "However, behind the scenes, Sarah experiences a range of emotions as she navigates the demands of her job." [Cut to Sarah's internal monologue as she deals with a difficult customer, maintaining a composed exterior while feeling frustrated.] Sarah (internally): "I need to stay calm and professional, even though this customer is being unreasonable." [Cut to a montage of Sarah interacting with various customers, showcasing her ability to adapt her emotions to meet their needs and expectations.] Voiceover: "Aesthetic labor requires emotional intelligence, as service providers must manage their own emotions while also responding to the emotions of others." [Cut to a scene of Sarah comforting a customer who is visibly upset, offering a sympathetic ear and a reassuring smile.] Voiceover: "Ultimately, aesthetic labor is about creating meaningful connections and positive experiences that keep customers coming back." [The video ends with Sarah waving goodbye to a satisfied customer, her smile genuine as she takes pride in her ability to make a difference in people's lives through her work.] Voiceover: "Aesthetic labor: where emotions meet the marketplace." Explanation in Class: 1. Aesthetic Labor: The video demonstrates how Sarah's actions, appearance, and emotions contribute to the overall aesthetic of the café, enhancing the customer experience. 2. Emotional Labor: Sarah's ability to regulate her emotions, maintaining a professional demeanor even in challenging situations, exemplifies the concept of emotional labor. 3. Service Encounter: The interactions between Sarah and the customers illustrate the dynamics of service encounters and the importance of managing emotions to create positive outcomes. 4. Customer Satisfaction: The video highlights the link between Sarah's aesthetic labor and customer satisfaction, as satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend the café to others. 5. Emotional Intelligence: Sarah's empathy and ability to understand and respond to the emotions of others demonstrate the importance of emotional intelligence in service industries. By depicting the nuances of aesthetic labor and the emotions involved, the video provides a vivid illustration of key concepts from the chapter, fostering a deeper understanding of the role of emotions in the marketplace. Assignments 19. Obtain student opinions on the following statement: It is unethical to design a consumption environment in a way that significantly alters consumer emotions. Answer: Because environments often determine emotions, it would be practically impossible to design an environment that did not alter emotions. 20. *Interview four friends concerning the feelings they have toward Facebook activities. Ask them about how they would feel if they were deprived from using Facebook for a week, ten days, or two months. Do you believe any of the friends may be addicted to Facebook? Answer: A list is provided in the chapter that describes symptoms of Facebook addiction. If someone is displaying symptoms like these below, they may be addicted: Spending more than 1 hour a day dedicated to Facebook Ignoring work to stay on Facebook Keeping Facebook page constantly minimized on computer and mobile device Feeling a constant urge to refresh the Facebook page Feeling more attached to the Facebook world than the real world Replacing sleep with time on Facebook Becoming nervous/depressed when facing an extended period away from Facebook (more than a day) Getting irritated when someone or something interrupts your use of Facebook Checking Facebook while driving or walking across a street 21. While visiting a grocery or clothing store, try to observe and document evidence of things from the chapter like emotional contagion or product contamination. Describe the events and explain how they capture the idea. Answer: Observation at a Grocery Store: Event: Emotional Contagion While standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, I noticed a customer ahead of me who seemed visibly agitated. They were sighing loudly, tapping their foot impatiently, and muttering under their breath. The cashier, who had been cheerful and friendly with previous customers, began to adopt a more tense and hurried demeanor in response to the customer's agitation. Explanation: This observation illustrates the concept of emotional contagion, where the emotions of one person spread to others in the surrounding environment. The customer's agitation likely influenced the mood of the cashier, causing them to experience increased stress and tension. This, in turn, could affect the experience of other customers in the store, creating a ripple effect of negative emotions. Observation at a Clothing Store: Event: Product Contamination While browsing through racks of clothing at a clothing store, I noticed a sweater that had fallen off the hanger and onto the floor. As I picked it up to put it back on the rack, I noticed that it had a stain on the sleeve, likely from being stepped on by other customers or dragged across the floor. Explanation: This observation exemplifies the concept of product contamination, where the perceived value or quality of a product is diminished due to its physical condition or association with negative attributes. In this case, the stain on the sweater could deter potential customers from purchasing it, as it may be seen as unclean or damaged. Additionally, the presence of visibly soiled items in the store could impact the overall perception of cleanliness and hygiene, potentially influencing customers' willingness to make purchases. Chapter Video Summary To view the video case Jordan’s Furniture, go to the CB companion website login.cengage.com to select this video. Jordan’s Furniture Business is about understanding people, their needs, emotions, and motivations. Jordan’s Furniture is a good example of a successful business that derives much of its success from influencing consumer behavior to its advantage. The two brothers, Eliot and Barry, who run Jordan’s, have devised a unique marketing strategy that couples entertainment with furniture shopping. Jordan’s advertising line is interesting and robust at the same time: from radio to funny ads for the TV, Jordan’s Furniture has a face of its own, a furniture shop to which people return not only for the high-quality products, but also for the unique experience it offers. Ask your students: 1. What is unique about the marketing strategy adopted by Jordan’s Furniture? Answer: The owners of Jordan’s Furniture based their marketing strategy on the fact that people rarely visit furniture showrooms unless they actually want to buy furniture. Jordan’s aims to change that by creating other reasons for potential customers to visit the store. By providing games and entertainment, Jordan’s provides a space for customers to visit and have fun even when they’re not looking to buy furniture. Jordan’s increases the chances that customers will approach its store when they need to purchase furniture. Jordan’s Furniture’s marketing strategy aims to create long-term relationships with customers rather than short-term sales. This also increases word-of-mouth publicity for the store. 2. Why did Jordan’s Furniture decide to club entertainment with shopping? How successful is the strategy? Answer: People are unlikely to window-shop at a furniture store. However, by providing other reasons for families to visit the store, Jordan’s increases the visibility of its products and ensures that visitors will remember its product offerings when they do want to make a purchase. The entertainment strategy ensures that footfalls to the store increase. 3. What advantages did Jordan’s Furniture secure by studying consumer behavior? Answer: The owners of Jordan’s noted customer reactions in the store to create a space that people enjoy visiting. The store is designed around the way people interact with the furniture to enhance the customer experience. For instance, the ceiling of the mattress section is decorated with blinking lights, so that customers trying out mattresses have something to look at. The company’s advertisements are also designed to gain consumer interest. They’re funny and irreverent, and showcase the products in unusual ways that appeal to customers. CB Scenario Video A consumer in a supermarket pushes her shopping trolley along the aisles, quickly filling it with groceries and staples from the many products available on the shelves. Ask your students: 1. Which need among Maslow’s hierarchy of needs does a consumer address when he/she shops for groceries and staples in a supermarket? Would the consumer’s actions be a result of utilitarian motivation or hedonic motivation or both? Explain the reasons for your choice. Answer: A consumer shopping for groceries and staples would be addressing the physiological need of Maslow’s hierarchy. The consumer’s actions would be a result of both utilitarian motivation and hedonic motivation. The consumer’s utilitarian motivation would focus on his/her drive to acquire products that he/she can use to accomplish things. The consumer’s hedonic motivation would allow him/her to experience the joy of shopping at the supermarket which he/she wouldn’t have experienced if he/she chose to shop online. 2. Identify the different types of consumer involvement associated when a customer shops for groceries in a supermarket. Apart from the above customer involvements, what type of involvement would a customer be associated with if he/she needs to buy a refrigerator or dishwasher? Answer: There are several types of consumer involvement that can be associated with a customer who shops for groceries in a supermarket. Product involvement—If the consumer has personal relevance to a particular product category, then he/she is said to be product involved. For example, some consumers may prefer to buy only organic groceries. Shopping involvement—If the customer is highly involved, he/she would react to price reductions and offers while shopping. The aim of such customers is to enhance the value received from personal shopping. Supermarkets target customers by introducing offers on certain products as this guarantees the involvement of a lot of customers. Enduring involvement—If the customer considers shopping a personally gratifying activity, he/she would be associated with high enduring involvement. Many customers enjoy shopping at supermarkets, looking at products, their features, their prices, comparing their prices and so on. Emotional involvement—Customers are known to get emotional during shopping, for instance, some customers get excited when they see offers or discounts on products. Such customers are associated with high emotional involvement. A customer would be associated with situational involvement along with the other involvements, if he/she needs to buy a refrigerator or dishwasher. 3. Describe the emotions you experience when you shop, and how these emotions help shape value. Answer: Answers may include their mood, affect, product value judgments and mood-congruent judgments that they encounter as they shop. 1. Excitement: Many shoppers feel excitement when they shop, especially when browsing for new products or anticipating a purchase. This emotion can enhance the perceived value of the shopping experience by making it more enjoyable and rewarding. 2. Happiness: Finding a desired item or getting a good deal can evoke feelings of happiness and satisfaction. These positive emotions contribute to the perceived value of the purchase, as shoppers feel that their needs or desires have been met. 3. Frustration: On the other hand, encountering obstacles such as long lines, out-of-stock items, or unhelpful customer service can lead to feelings of frustration. These negative emotions can diminish the perceived value of the shopping experience and make shoppers less likely to return in the future. 4. Surprise: Discovering unexpected bargains or stumbling upon unique items can elicit feelings of surprise. These pleasant surprises can enhance the perceived value of the shopping experience by providing added benefits or exceeding the shopper's expectations. 5. Anxiety: Some shoppers may experience anxiety, particularly when making important or expensive purchases. This emotion can influence their perception of value by making them more cautious and deliberate in their decision-making process. 6. Pride: Finally, successful shopping experiences can evoke feelings of pride and accomplishment. Whether it's finding the perfect gift or sticking to a budget, achieving shopping goals can increase the perceived value of the purchase and leave shoppers feeling satisfied. Overall, emotions play a significant role in shaping the perceived value of the shopping experience. Positive emotions such as excitement, happiness, and surprise enhance value by making the experience more enjoyable and fulfilling, while negative emotions such as frustration and anxiety can detract from value by creating obstacles and stress. Understanding and catering to the emotional needs of shoppers is essential for businesses looking to maximize the value of their products and services. Solution Manual for CB Consumer Behaviour Barry J. Babin, Eric G. Harris 9781305403222, 9781305577244
