IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joepsy/v38y2013icp4-15.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Expressed likelihood as motivator: Creating value through engaging what’s real

Author

Listed:
  • Higgins, E. Tory
  • Franks, Becca
  • Pavarini, Dana
  • Sehnert, Steen
  • Manley, Katie

Abstract

Our research tested two predictions regarding how likelihood can have motivational effects as a function of how a probability is expressed. We predicted that describing the probability of a future event that could be either A or B using the language of high likelihood (“80% A”) rather than low likelihood (“20% B”), i.e., high rather than low expressed likelihood, would make a present activity more real and engaging, as long as the future event had properties relevant to the present activity. We also predicted that strengthening engagement from the high (versus low) expressed likelihood of a future event would intensify the value of present positive and negative objects (in opposite directions). Both predictions were supported. There was also evidence that this intensification effect from expressed likelihood was independent of the actual probability or valence of the future event. What mattered was whether high versus low likelihood language was used to describe the future event.

Suggested Citation

  • Higgins, E. Tory & Franks, Becca & Pavarini, Dana & Sehnert, Steen & Manley, Katie, 2013. "Expressed likelihood as motivator: Creating value through engaging what’s real," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 4-15.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:4-15
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2012.03.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167487012000451
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.joep.2012.03.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Angela Y. Lee & Punam Anand Keller & Brian Sternthal, 2010. "Value from Regulatory Construal Fit: The Persuasive Impact of Fit between Consumer Goals and Message Concreteness," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 36(5), pages 735-747, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kim, Joonkyung & Zhao, Min & Soman, Dilip, 2023. "Converging vs diverging: The effect of visual representation of goal structure on financial decisions," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 362-377.
    2. Mantovani, Danielle & Tazima, Deborah Iuri, 2016. "Arte visual e foco regulatório na avaliação dos consumidores," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 56(2), March.
    3. Yi He & Qimei Chen & Dana L. Alden, 2016. "Time will tell: managing post-purchase changes in brand attitude," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 791-805, November.
    4. Freling, Traci H. & Vincent, Leslie H. & Henard, David H., 2014. "When not to accentuate the positive: Re-examining valence effects in attribute framing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 124(2), pages 95-109.
    5. Boukis, Achilleas, 2023. "Storytelling in initial coin offerings: Attracting investment or gaining referrals?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    6. Lynn, Michael, 2015. "Explanations of service gratuities and tipping: Evidence from individual differences in tipping motivations and tendencies," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 65-71.
    7. Thai, Nguyen T. & Yuksel, Ulku, 2017. "Too many destinations to visit: Tourists’ dilemma?," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 38-53.
    8. Rai, Dipankar & Lin, Chien-Wei (Wilson), 2019. "The influence of implicit self-theories on consumer financial decision making," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 316-325.
    9. Kim, Kyuha & Lee, Sungmi & Choi, Yung Kyun, 2019. "Image proximity in advertising appeals: Spatial distance and product types," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 490-497.
    10. van Schie, Ron J.G. & Dellaert, Benedict G.C. & Donkers, Bas, 2015. "Promoting later planned retirement: Construal level intervention impact reverses with age," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 124-131.
    11. Florence Jeannot & Eline Jongmans & Maud Dampérat, 2022. "Visual design and online shopping experiences: When expertise allows consumers to refocus on website attractiveness," Post-Print halshs-04159592, HAL.
    12. Chatterjee, Subimal & Rai, Dipankar & Heath, Timothy B., 2016. "Tradeoff between time and money: The asymmetric consideration of opportunity costs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(7), pages 2560-2566.
    13. Alden, Dana L. & Friend, John & Fraenkel, Liana & Jibaja-Weiss, Maria, 2018. "The effects of culturally targeted patient decision aids on medical consultation preparation for Hispanic women in the U.S.: Results from four randomized experiments," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 17-25.
    14. Xin Liu, 2019. "The Role of Enterprise Risk Management in Sustainable Decision-Making: A Cross-Cultural Comparison," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, May.
    15. Florian Lukas SEIZER, 2017. "The Influence Of Line Extension Strategies By Premium Brands On Brand Equity: Cultural Differences Between Germany And Thailand," Management and Marketing Journal, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 0(1), pages 77-105, May.
    16. Bullard, Olya & Penner, Sara, 2017. "A regulatory-focused perspective on philanthropy: Promotion focus motivates giving to prevention-framed causes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 173-180.
    17. Haipeng (Allan) Chen & Woojin Choi & Yan (Lucy) Liu & Haoying Sun & Fu Liu, 2021. "More or Less? Consumer Goal Orientation and Product Choice," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 8(1), pages 16-26, June.
    18. Andranik Tumasjan & Maria Strobel & Isabell Welpe, 2011. "Ethical Leadership Evaluations After Moral Transgression: Social Distance Makes the Difference," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(4), pages 609-622, April.
    19. Hofacker, Charles F. & de Ruyter, Ko & Lurie, Nicholas H. & Manchanda, Puneet & Donaldson, Jeff, 2016. "Gamification and Mobile Marketing Effectiveness," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 25-36.
    20. Tran, Trang P. & Guzmán, Francisco & Paswan, Audhesh K. & Blankson, Charles, 2020. "National versus private brand: A regulatory focus perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:4-15. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/joep .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.