Effects of counterfactual thought on postpurchase consumer affect

This study explored the effects of counterfactual thinking (CFT) on postpurchase consumer affect. CFT is the process of imagining what might have been, that is, comparing reality (what is; the facts) with alternative possibilities. In a vignette study, the presence or absence of CFT, its direction (...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology & marketing 2003-01, Vol.20 (1), p.23-46
Main Authors: Walchli, Suzanne B., Landman, Janet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Consumer attitudes
Consumer spending
Consumers
Customer satisfaction
Decision making
Marketing management
Pessimism
Studies
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Summary:This study explored the effects of counterfactual thinking (CFT) on postpurchase consumer affect. CFT is the process of imagining what might have been, that is, comparing reality (what is; the facts) with alternative possibilities. In a vignette study, the presence or absence of CFT, its direction (upward or downward), and outcome valence (positive, negative, or neutral) were manipulated. The participants' tendencies toward strategic optimism and defensive pessimism were measured, and the impact of these factors on postpurchase affect was observed. As expected, results indicated that negative outcomes were associated with greater levels of spontaneous counterfactual thought, and greater affective amplification was associated with the presence of counterfactual thought. More surprising was the finding that consumer regret increased with both downward and upward counterfactual thought, indicating that both contrast and assimilation mechanisms may be operational. With respect to personality, strategic optimists were less sensitive to purchase outcomes and counterfactual thought manipulations than were other respondents. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN:0742-6046
1520-6793
DOI:10.1002/mar.10057