Meryl P. Gardner

Mood States and Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review

A conceptual framework is presented that depicts both the mediating role of mood states and their potential importance in consumer behavior. Reviewing findings from the psychological literature indicates that mood states have direct and indirect effects on behavior, evaluation, and recall. The scope and limitations of these effects are addressed, and the implications for consumer behavior in three areas—service encounters, point-of-purchase stimuli, and communications (context and content)—are examined. Finally, the potential feasibility and viability of mood-related approaches to marketing research and practice are discussed.

Sponsorship: An Important Component of the Promotions Mix

Abstract Four surveys were conducted to investigate sponsorships from the perspectives of all participants in the sponsorship system. Respondents were drawn from the following populations: 1) corporations (i.e., actual and prospective sponsors), 2) channel members (i.e., distributors of sponsored and unsponsored brands), 3) the public (i.e., private individuals) and 4) sponsored organizations (i.e., cultural institutions). Questionnaires were used to assess perceptions of sponsorships, knowledge of sponsored events, attitudes towards sponsors, forecasts about the future of sponsorships, and behavior in response to sponsorships. Findings examine the inter-relationships of the views of the different system members, and provide insight into the relationship of sponsorship to other aspects of promotion.

Advertising Effects on Attributes Recalled and Criteria Used for Brand Evaluations

An information processing framework is used to investigate the effects of prominence in an advertisement on attribute recall and use in subsequent brand evaluation. The mediating effects of self-perceptions of familiarity and processing task are examined. A target attribute was more likely to be recalled and nontarget attributes were less likely to be recalled when the target attribute was prominent in the advertisement than when it was not prominent. Also, a target attribute was more likely to affect brand evaluation when it was prominent and the evaluator was familiar with the product, regardless of the individuals processing task upon exposure.

An approach to investigating the emotional determinants of consumption durations: Why do people consume what they consume for as long as they consume it?

Previous work in consumer research has left questions concerning the duration of consumption largely unexplored and, in particular, has neglected the possible role of emotions in determining the length of time that consumers devote to consumption experiences. This study proposes an approach to investigating these questions and illustrates its application to the context of examining the connection between emotional responses and listening receptivity to music. Specifically, Russell, Weiss, and Mendelsohns (1989) Affect Grid was used to select a set of musical stimuli judged as varying widely in pleasure and arousal. In an individually administered listening task, 58 subjects listened to these musical selections in different random orders for as long as they wanted before rating their feelings on the Affect Grid. Listening time was measured unobtrusively when rewinding the tapes between sessions with subjects. As hypothesized, the results show that log (tempo) strongly affects arousal, that listening time follows a nonmonotonic relation which peaks at intermediate levels of arousal, and that these peaks shift from left to right as pleasure increases.

How Motivation Moderates the Effects of Emotions on the Duration of Consumption

Abstract Several important questions arise concerning the roles of motivation and emotions in determining the duration of consumption—that is, the length of time that consumers devote to consumption experiences. Existing theory and previous findings suggest that consumption duration should: (1) follow an inverted-u relation which peaks at intermediate levels of arousal; (2) increase with pleasure; (3) peak at higher levels of arousal as pleasure increases; and (4) depend more strongly on pleasure for those with an intrinsically motivated enjoyment orientation as opposed to those with an extrinsically motivated task orientation. A main study used 32 musical stimuli varying in their tendencies to evoke pleasure and arousal, manipulated intrinsic/extrinsic motivation by means of verbal instructions in enjoyment-task-oriented conditions, and found support for all four hypotheses, including the key prediction that a positive effect of pleasure on consumption duration as measured by listening time would appear for those in the intrinsically motivated enjoyment condition but would disappear for those in the extrinsically motivated task condition. A subsidiary study helped to rule out competing hypotheses by showing that levels of pleasure and arousal across the musical selections did not differ between the task and enjoyment conditions. In short, this research supports relevant theory, replicates earlier results, and extends previous findings by demonstrating a moderating influence of consumption motivations that encourage or discourage a main effect of pleasure on the duration of consumption.

Opinion: The time has come for offshore wind power in the United States

Offshore wind turbines have been successfully deployed in Europe since 1991, providing thousands of megawatts of clean energy for multiple nations. Ten years ago, it seemed that the United States would follow suit: The US Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed the Department of the Interior (DOI) to establish an offshore leasing regime in federal waters (generally oceanic waters 3–200 nautical miles from the coast). It appeared to be a crucial step in opening the door to the country’s vast offshore wind resource: turbine installations in the Mid-Atlantic Bight alone could power all United States electricity, automobile transport, and building heat needs (1).

Consumers' mood states and the decision-making process

This manuscript investigates the effects of mood states on the decision-making process by examining its effects on internally generated thoughts. Specifically, the effects of mood states on thoughts associated with needs that are higher and lower in Maslows hierarchy, sensory benefits, and experiential and informational processing are examined. Literature addressing these issues is reviewed, hypotheses are developed, and an empirical study is described. Findings suggest the decision-making process may be related to needs higher in Maslows hierarchy, involve more sensory thoughts, and be more experiential when consumers are in positive mood states. Conversely, findings suggest the decision-making process may be related to needs lower in Maslows hierarchy, involve fewer sensory thoughts, and be more informational when consumers are in negative moods. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the studys findings for the development of theory and further research.

LGBTQ and religious identity conflict in service settings

Purpose The USA is witnessing a conflict between LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) consumers/supporters and Christian fundamentalist service providers/opponents regarding whether service can be denied based on religious values. The purpose of this paper is to make a timely investigation into this conflict between marketplace inclusion (for LGBTQ consumers) and freedom of religion (for religious service providers). Design/methodology/approach The intersection of marketplace inclusion for LGBTQ consumers and religious freedom for service providers is examined by identifying appropriate strategies that address this conflict and reviewing how differing religious perspectives influence perceptions of LGBTQ consumer rights, all building off the social identity threat literature. Findings LGBTQ and religious identities often conflict to influence consumer behavior and service provider interactions. Such conflict is heightened when there is a lack of substitutes (i.e. only one service provider in an area for a specific service). Common LGBTQ consumer responses include changing service providers, providing justification for the provision of services and pursing legal recourse. Suggested strategies to address this conflict include highlighting common social identities and using two-sided messages for service providers, using in-group interventions for social groups and using government interventions for public policy. Originality/value Research has yet to examine the conflict between marketplace inclusion and religious freedom, particularly for the inclusion of LGBTQ consumers. Thus, this paper provides a novel conceptual model detailing these relationships to stimulate discussion among consumers, service providers, social groups and public policy in addition to serving as a foundation for future research.

Pairing Animal Cartoon Characters With Produce Stimulates Selection Among Child Zoo Visitors

In order to address the pervasive trend of underconsumption of fruits and vegetables among children, we examined the hypothesis that children would be more likely to select fruits (apple slices, bananas, and oranges) and vegetables (baby carrots) when paired with animal cartoon image than when available without the character image. Tested in a randomized experiment using counterbalancing, products were arranged on two tables at two separate family fun nights held at a local zoo. Animal character produce parings were manipulated by placing one of two animals (tamarin or iguana) next to two of the four fruit or vegetable selections at each table, and by changing when available without the image. In total, 755 produce selections were made. Significantly more products paired with a character were selected (62.38%) than the same products, not paired (37.62%), χ2 = 46.32, df = 1, p < .001. The odds ratio of the treatment versus control was 1.66 (i.e., 471/284), indicating that children were 66% more likely to select a snack when paired with an animal cartoon. Study findings highlight the positive impact of animal cartoons on children’s fruit and vegetable snack selections, and results suggest the potential for using animal cartoons to encourage fruit and vegetable selection for children.

Vehicle to Grid Demonstration Project

This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of a two-year DOE-funded project on Grid-Integrated Vehicles (GIV) with vehicle to grid power (V2G). The project included several research and development components: an analysis of US driving patterns; an analysis of the market for EVs and V2G-capable EVs; development and testing of GIV components (in-car and in-EVSE); interconnect law and policy; and development and filing of patents. In addition, development activities included GIV manufacturing and licensing of technologies developed under this grant. Also, five vehicles were built and deployed, four for the fleet of the State of Delaware, plus one for the University of Delaware fleet.