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The Role of Arousal in Congruity-Based Product Evaluation

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  • Theodore J. Noseworthy
  • Fabrizio Di Muro
  • Kyle B. Murray

Abstract

New products are often incongruent with consumer expectations. Researchers have shown that consumers prefer moderately incongruent products, while being adverse to extremely incongruent products. Evidence from three studies suggests that this phenomenon is highly influenced by a consumer's state of arousal. Specifically, low arousal decreases preference for moderate incongruity while increasing preference for extreme incongruity, whereas high arousal decreases preference for any form of incongruity. Underlying these effects are discrete emotional states brought on by a physiological response to incongruity. Varying arousal subsequently varies the severity of the emotion, be it negative (anxiety) or positive (curiosity), which in turn varies evaluations for the product. This suggests that creating excitement around a product launch may be good for incremental innovation, but it may not be a good idea for something truly innovative.

Suggested Citation

  • Theodore J. Noseworthy & Fabrizio Di Muro & Kyle B. Murray, 2014. "The Role of Arousal in Congruity-Based Product Evaluation," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 41(4), pages 1108-1126.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:41:y:2014:i:4:p:1108-1126.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1086/678301
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrii Galkin & Popova Yuliia & Bodnaruk Oksana & Zaika Yuliia & Chuprina Elena & Denys Shapovalenko & Oleg Kolonataievskyi, 2019. "Attractiveness Modeling of Retail on Emotional Fatigue of Consumers," South East European Journal of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 14(2), pages 106-116, December.
    2. Ethan Pancer & Lindsay McShane & Theodore J. Noseworthy, 2017. "Isolated Environmental Cues and Product Efficacy Penalties: The Color Green and Eco-labels," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 159-177, June.
    3. Guitart, Ivan A. & Hervet, Guillaume, 2017. "The impact of contextual television ads on online conversions: An application in the insurance industry," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 480-498.
    4. Halkin Andrii, 2020. "Assessing the Utility of Retailer Based on Generalized Costs of End-Consumers," Foundations of Management, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 31-42, January.
    5. Adam, Marc T.P. & Astor, Philipp J. & Krämer, Jan, 2016. "Affective Images, Emotion Regulation and Bidding Behavior: An Experiment on the Influence of Competition and Community Emotions in Internet Auctions," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 56-69.
    6. Figueiredo, Bernardo & Larsen, Hanne Pico & Bean, Jonathan, 2021. "The Cosmopolitan Servicescape," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 267-287.
    7. Kyra L Wiggin & Martin Reimann & Shailendra P Jain & Darren W Dahl & Margaret C Campbell & Paul M Herr, 2019. "Curiosity Tempts Indulgence," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 45(6), pages 1194-1212.
    8. Emrich, Oliver & Verhoef, Peter C., 2015. "The impact of a homogenous versus a prototypical Web design on online retail patronage for multichannel providers," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 363-374.
    9. Gao, Xin & De Hooge, Ilona E. & Fischer, Arnout R.H., 2022. "Something underneath? Using a within-subjects design to examine schema congruity theory at an individual level," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    10. Yan, Li & Murray, Kyle B., 2023. "The motivational dynamics of arousal and values in promoting sustainable behavior: A cognitive energetics perspective," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 679-699.
    11. Shin, Eonyou & Lee, Jung Eun, 2021. "What makes consumers purchase apparel products through social shopping services that social media fashion influencers have worn?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 416-428.
    12. Gerrath, Maximilian H.E.E. & Biraglia, Alessandro, 2021. "How less congruent new products drive brand engagement: The role of curiosity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 13-24.
    13. Philp, Matthew & Jacobson, Jenna & Pancer, Ethan, 2022. "Predicting social media engagement with computer vision: An examination of food marketing on Instagram," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 736-747.
    14. Darren W Dahl & Eileen Fischer & Gita V Johar & Vicki G Morwitz, 2017. "Making Sense from (Apparent) Senselessness: The JCR Lens," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 44(4), pages 719-723.
    15. Philp, Matthew & Mantonakis, Antonia, 2020. "Guiding the consumer evaluation process and the probability of order-effects-in-choice," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 13-22.
    16. Anne Hamby & Cristel Russell, 2022. "How does ambivalence affect young consumers’ response to risky products?," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(4), pages 841-863, July.
    17. Chun-Tuan Chang & Xing-Yu (Marcos) Chu, 2020. "The give and take of cause-related marketing: purchasing cause-related products licenses consumer indulgence," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 203-221, March.
    18. Dean C. H. Wilkie & Lester W. Johnson & Wynne W. Chin, 2018. "Does the type of attribute matter? Examining whether underlying factors explain product attribute preference," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 25(4), pages 305-321, July.
    19. Das, Gopal & Wiener, Hillary J.D. & Kareklas, Ioannis, 2019. "To emoji or not to emoji? Examining the influence of emoji on consumer reactions to advertising," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 147-156.
    20. Garaus, Marion & Wagner, Udo & Rainer, Ricarda C., 2021. "Emotional targeting using digital signage systems and facial recognition at the point-of-sale," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 747-762.
    21. Theodore J Noseworthy & Kyle B Murray & Fabrizio Di Muro & Gita JoharEditor & Page MoreauAssociate Editor, 2018. "When Two Wrongs Make a Right: Using Conjunctive Enablers to Enhance Evaluations for Extremely Incongruent New Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 44(6), pages 1379-1396.
    22. Bambauer-Sachse, Silke & Heinzle, Priska, 2018. "Comparative advertising for goods versus services: Effects of different types of product attributes through consumer reactance and activation on consumer response," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 82-90.
    23. Das, Gopal & Hagtvedt, Henrik, 2016. "Consumer responses to combined arousal-inducing stimuli," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 213-215.
    24. Wen, Xiaohan (Hannah) & Kim, Shinhye & Bowen, Melanie, 2023. "Doing good by sharing messages: An investigation of “You Share, We Donate” campaigns and how they can attain viral success," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).

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