The Moderating Role of Negative Consumption Emotions on Service Evaluation

ABSTRACT - This paper examines the occurrence of two negative consumption emotionsBanger and anxietyBin terms of their underlying cognitive appraisals (perceived causality and coping potential), and the impact of the emotions on the effectiveness of provider responses to the emotion. Confirming hypotheses, a survey of airline passengers found that anger is characterized by appraisals of provider blame and high consumer coping potential and anxiety by uncontrollable circumstances and low coping potential. These distinctive features implied that supportive provider responses to angry consumers were less effective than similar responses to anxious consumers. Implications for understanding how emotions impact consumer evaluations as well as managerial implications are discussed.

Citation:

Kalyani Menon and Laurette Dube (2003) ,"The Moderating Role of Negative Consumption Emotions on Service Evaluation", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 6, eds. Darach Turley and Stephen Brown, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 219.

European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 6, 2003      Page 219

THE MODERATING ROLE OF NEGATIVE CONSUMPTION EMOTIONS ON SERVICE EVALUATION

Kalyani Menon, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

Laurette Dube, McGill University, Canada

ABSTRACT -

This paper examines the occurrence of two negative consumption emotionsBanger and anxietyBin terms of their underlying cognitive appraisals (perceived causality and coping potential), and the impact of the emotions on the effectiveness of provider responses to the emotion. Confirming hypotheses, a survey of airline passengers found that anger is characterized by appraisals of provider blame and high consumer coping potential and anxiety by uncontrollable circumstances and low coping potential. These distinctive features implied that supportive provider responses to angry consumers were less effective than similar responses to anxious consumers. Implications for understanding how emotions impact consumer evaluations as well as managerial implications are discussed.

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