Consumers not only make rational decisions but also emotional ones. Research now recognizes the significance of diverse neglected factors, such as emotions, affect, arousal and pleasure in appraisal, and has identified processes and behaviors that do not fit with the traditional view of acting as a result of a purely deliberate process. Consumers’ behaviors and choices are grounded both in consumer beliefs and judgements, and in experiences and emotions. Individuals, more broadly, bring their perceptions, values, feelings and cognitive schemes to bear in interpreting the world. In this context, unconscious physiological manifestations can offer indications as to how people evaluate, filter and react to external stimuli. What is expressed by the conscious mind, indeed, does not represent a full and perfect representation of the actual needs and wishes of individuals.
Understanding consumer behaviors has long been a challenging endeavor, due to different variables affecting decision-making mechanisms and the difficulty of measuring them. It requires, indeed, a comprehension of both the cognitive, information-processing mechanisms and of the affective and experiential systems of individuals. Moreover, it demands an appreciation of the rich and deep interplay between cognitive and affective processes.
Understanding consumers’ emotions can inform practitioners on how to effectively communicate with their target audience, whether internal or external, in order to elicit attention, engagement and positive emotional responses, and to build emotional connections. Human stress, engagement, cognitive and emotional responses may be taken into account in the development of products and services, by understanding consumers’ responses and experience with them. This has a deep impact at the organizational level in terms of marketing strategies, putting the consumer at the center of the whole organization. This Research Topic aims to disseminate knowledge on the role of emotions in consumer behavior throughout the purchasing process, while also allowing for dialogue between disciplines such as psychology, organizational behavior, marketing, neuroscience, bioscience and design.
Authors are encouraged to submit empirical, theoretical and systematic review papers on themes including, but not limited to:
• the role of emotions in consumer behavior throughout the purchasing process
• neurophysiological methods to detect consumers’ emotions
• affective drivers of choice, hedonic consumption, and individual experience
• characterization, classification, and measurement of emotions
• the effect of positive emotions and negative emotions on the appraisal process
• the role of anticipated and transient emotions in consumer choices
• customer-centric marketing strategies
• consumers’ expression of emotions on social media
• consumer emotions during online service encounters
• consumer emotions after negative service incidences
• antecedents to brand love and brand hate
• consumer emotions in ethical consumption contexts.
Consumers not only make rational decisions but also emotional ones. Research now recognizes the significance of diverse neglected factors, such as emotions, affect, arousal and pleasure in appraisal, and has identified processes and behaviors that do not fit with the traditional view of acting as a result of a purely deliberate process. Consumers’ behaviors and choices are grounded both in consumer beliefs and judgements, and in experiences and emotions. Individuals, more broadly, bring their perceptions, values, feelings and cognitive schemes to bear in interpreting the world. In this context, unconscious physiological manifestations can offer indications as to how people evaluate, filter and react to external stimuli. What is expressed by the conscious mind, indeed, does not represent a full and perfect representation of the actual needs and wishes of individuals.
Understanding consumer behaviors has long been a challenging endeavor, due to different variables affecting decision-making mechanisms and the difficulty of measuring them. It requires, indeed, a comprehension of both the cognitive, information-processing mechanisms and of the affective and experiential systems of individuals. Moreover, it demands an appreciation of the rich and deep interplay between cognitive and affective processes.
Understanding consumers’ emotions can inform practitioners on how to effectively communicate with their target audience, whether internal or external, in order to elicit attention, engagement and positive emotional responses, and to build emotional connections. Human stress, engagement, cognitive and emotional responses may be taken into account in the development of products and services, by understanding consumers’ responses and experience with them. This has a deep impact at the organizational level in terms of marketing strategies, putting the consumer at the center of the whole organization. This Research Topic aims to disseminate knowledge on the role of emotions in consumer behavior throughout the purchasing process, while also allowing for dialogue between disciplines such as psychology, organizational behavior, marketing, neuroscience, bioscience and design.
Authors are encouraged to submit empirical, theoretical and systematic review papers on themes including, but not limited to:
• the role of emotions in consumer behavior throughout the purchasing process
• neurophysiological methods to detect consumers’ emotions
• affective drivers of choice, hedonic consumption, and individual experience
• characterization, classification, and measurement of emotions
• the effect of positive emotions and negative emotions on the appraisal process
• the role of anticipated and transient emotions in consumer choices
• customer-centric marketing strategies
• consumers’ expression of emotions on social media
• consumer emotions during online service encounters
• consumer emotions after negative service incidences
• antecedents to brand love and brand hate
• consumer emotions in ethical consumption contexts.
