How regulatory focus influences consumer behavior

According to Higgins (1997) the theory of regulatory focus says that in terms of both information processing and motivation it makes a difference whether people have a promotion or prevention focus. In this paper, this theory will be applied to the area of consumer psychology. In three experiments w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of social psychology 2007-01, Vol.37 (1), p.33-51
Main Authors: Werth, Lioba, Foerster, Jens
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advertisements
Advertising. Marketing. Consume behavior
Applied psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Consumer attitudes
Consumer behaviour
Consumer studies
Consumers
Consumption
Evaluation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Information Processing
Motivation
Prevention
Promotion
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Regulation
Regulation theory
Social influence
Social psychology
Theory
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Summary:According to Higgins (1997) the theory of regulatory focus says that in terms of both information processing and motivation it makes a difference whether people have a promotion or prevention focus. In this paper, this theory will be applied to the area of consumer psychology. In three experiments we show that consumer's regulatory focus either measured or induced in a given situation influences product evaluations. Study 1 shows that consumers are interested in different product features depending on their focus; whereas in the prevention focus they are more interested in safety‐oriented aspects, in the promotion focus they concentrate more on comfort‐oriented qualities. In Study 2, a typical prevention product and a typical promotion product are compared with one another and data shows that focus compatible products are evaluated more positively. In Study 3 we demonstrate that advertisments that correspond to the focus of the consumer lead to more positive evaluations of the product than advertisments that are incompatible with the focus of the consumer. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:0046-2772
1099-0992
DOI:10.1002/ejsp.343