Multi-Modal-based Emotional Contagion from Tourists to Hosts: The Dual-Process Mechanism

Emotional reactions and transmissions are crucial to host-tourist interaction yet lacking in research, particularly from the host viewpoint. To deepen understanding of host-tourist interaction, this study took a host perspective to examine emotional contagion from tourists to hosts. By adopting vide...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of travel research 2023-07, Vol.62 (6), p.1328-1346
Main Authors: Zhang, Shiqin, Chen, Nan, Hsu, Cathy H.C., Hao, Jin-Xing
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emotions
Residents
Social interaction
Stereotypes
Tourism
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Summary:Emotional reactions and transmissions are crucial to host-tourist interaction yet lacking in research, particularly from the host viewpoint. To deepen understanding of host-tourist interaction, this study took a host perspective to examine emotional contagion from tourists to hosts. By adopting video-vignette based interaction scenarios and cutting-edge techniques (e.g., FaceReader), a real-time multi-modal investigation was undertaken to reveal mechanism underlying emotional contagion of Hong Kong residents from Mainland Chinese tourists. Results theoretically consolidated the dual-process mechanism underpinning automatic emotional contagion and empirically verified an Emotional Contagion Model (ECM) from tourists to hosts. The compelling effects of mimicry, interaction context and stereotypes explained the emotional convergence and divergence between hosts and tourists. The study extended the knowledge boundary of host-tourist interaction to micro-level interpersonal emotional connection. Moreover, the verified ECM theoretically advances emotional contagion mechanism in the social psychology literature. Practical guidelines for host-tourist relation management and sustainable destination development were provided.
ISSN:0047-2875
1552-6763
DOI:10.1177/00472875221119975