Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products

65 p.

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Main Authors: Allard, Thomas, White, Katherine
Other Authors: Nanyang Business School
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/85201
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/43668
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-852012023-05-19T06:44:43Z Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products Allard, Thomas White, Katherine Nanyang Business School Guilt Negative emotions 65 p. This research examines the notion that guilt, the negative emotion stemming from a failure to meet a self-held standard of behavior, leads to preferences for products enabling self-improvement, even in domains unrelated to the original source of the guilt. Examining consumer responses to real products, this research shows that such effects arise because guilt—by its focus on previous wrongdoings—activates a general desire to improve the self. This increase in desire for self-improvement products is only observed for choices involving the self (not others), is not observed in response to other negative emotions (e.g., shame, embarrassment, sadness, or envy), and is mitigated when people hold the belief that the self is nonmalleable. Building on past work that focuses on how guilt often leads to the motivation to alleviate feelings of guilt either directly or indirectly, the current research demonstrates an additional, novel downstream consequence of guilt, showing that only guilt has the unique motivational consequence of activating a general desire to improve the self, which subsequently spills into other domains and spurs self-improving product choices. These findings are discussed in light of their implications for research on the distinct motivational consequences of specific emotions and on consumer well-being. Accepted version 2017-09-04T03:19:56Z 2019-12-06T15:59:21Z 2017-09-04T03:19:56Z 2019-12-06T15:59:21Z 2015 2015 Journal Article Allard, T., & White, K. (2015). Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(3), 401-419. 0093-5301 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/85201 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/43668 10.1093/jcr/ucv024 195245 en Journal of Consumer Research © 2015 The Author (published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Consumer Research, Inc.). This is the author created version of a work that has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in Journal of Consumer Research, published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Consumer Research, Inc.. It incorporates referee’s comments but changes resulting from the publishing process, such as copyediting, structural formatting, may not be reflected in this document. The published version is available at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucv024]. application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Guilt
Negative emotions
spellingShingle Guilt
Negative emotions
Allard, Thomas
White, Katherine
Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products
description 65 p.
author2 Nanyang Business School
author_facet Nanyang Business School
Allard, Thomas
White, Katherine
format Article
author Allard, Thomas
White, Katherine
author_sort Allard, Thomas
title Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products
title_short Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products
title_full Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products
title_fullStr Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products
title_full_unstemmed Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products
title_sort cross-domain effects of guilt on desire for self-improvement products
publishDate 2017
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/85201
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/43668
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