IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/amsrev/v3y2013i4d10.1007_s13162-013-0032-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reinterpreting cultural priming effects in cross-cultural consumer research

Author

Listed:
  • Dwight R. Merunka

    (Aix Marseille University and EUROMED Management)

Abstract

Experimentally priming bicultural individuals in cross-cultural consumer research to access their respective cultures has produced interesting findings. However, close examination of the experimental conditions and of the main findings reveals important inconsistencies and contradictions that cast doubt on their validity. In general, the risk of a cultural attribution fallacy is high in such cross-cultural research, due to the lack of control over three basic conditions that are required for successful cultural priming experiments: (1) the demonstrated biculturalism of study participants, (2) the experimental manipulations used to engender cultural switching, and (3) the procedures used to ensure that culture, rather than other processes such as stereotypical associations, is being stimulated and accessed. This manuscript discusses these conditions, proposes a descriptive model that clearly distinguishes the differential effects of cultural priming on either monocultural bilinguals or on bicultural individuals, and suggests a research agenda for better understanding and improving the implementation of the cultural priming research paradigm.

Suggested Citation

  • Dwight R. Merunka, 2013. "Reinterpreting cultural priming effects in cross-cultural consumer research," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 3(4), pages 232-248, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:amsrev:v:3:y:2013:i:4:d:10.1007_s13162-013-0032-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s13162-013-0032-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13162-013-0032-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13162-013-0032-2?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. David Luna & Torsten Ringberg & Laura A. Peracchio, 2008. "One Individual, Two Identities: Frame Switching among Biculturals," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 279-293, March.
    2. Schmitt, Bernd H & Zhang, Shi, 1998. "Language Structure and Categorization: A Study of Classifiers in Consumer Cognition, Judgment, and Choice," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 108-122, September.
    3. Briley, Donnel A & Morris, Michael W & Simonson, Itamar, 2000. "Reasons as Carriers of Culture: Dynamic versus Dispositional Models of Cultural Influence on Decision Making," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 27(2), pages 157-178, September.
    4. Brumbaugh, Anne M, 2002. "Source and Nonsource Cues in Advertising and Their Effects on the Activation of Cultural and Subcultural Knowledge on the Route to Persuasion," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 29(2), pages 258-269, September.
    5. Steenkamp, Jan-Benedict E M & Baumgartner, Hans, 1998. "Assessing Measurement Invariance in Cross-National Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 25(1), pages 78-90, June.
    6. Peterson, Robert A, 2001. "On the Use of College Students in Social Science Research: Insights from a Second-Order Meta-analysis," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 28(3), pages 450-461, December.
    7. Morris, Michael W. & Simonson, Itamar & Briley, Donnel A., 2000. "Reasons as Carriers of Culture: Dynamic vs. Dispositional Models of Cultural Influence on Decision Making," Research Papers 1607, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    8. Koslow, Scott & Shamdasani, Prem N & Touchstone, Ellen E, 1994. "Exploring Language Effects in Ethnic Advertising: A Sociolinguistic Perspective," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(4), pages 575-585, March.
    9. S. Christian Wheeler & Jonah Berger, 2007. "When the Same Prime Leads to Different Effects," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 34(3), pages 357-368, July.
    10. Schmitt, Bernd H & Pan, Yigang & Tavassoli, Nader T, 1994. "Language and Consumer Memory: The Impact of Linguistic Differences between Chinese and English," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 419-431, December.
    11. Briley, Donnel A & Wyer, Robert S, Jr, 2002. "The Effect of Group Membership Salience on the Avoidance of Negative Outcomes: Implications for Social and Consumer Decisions," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 29(3), pages 400-415, December.
    12. Stefano Puntoni & Bart de Langhe & Stijn M. J. van Osselaer, 2009. "Bilingualism and the Emotional Intensity of Advertising Language," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(6), pages 1012-1025, April.
    13. David Luna & Laura A. Peracchio, 2005. "Advertising to Bilingual Consumers: The Impact of Code-Switching on Persuasion," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 31(4), pages 760-765, March.
    14. Luna, David & Peracchio, Laura A, 2001. "Moderators of Language Effects in Advertising to Bilinguals: A Psycholinguistic Approach," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 28(2), pages 284-295, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alcántara-Pilar, Juan Miguel & Del Barrio-García, Salvador & Rodríguez-López, Mª Eugenia, 2018. "Does language matter? A cross-national comparison of the moderating effect of language on website information-processing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 66-78.

    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. Carnevale, Marina & Luna, David & Lerman, Dawn, 2017. "Brand linguistics: A theory-driven framework for the study of language in branding," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 572-591.
    2. Azab, Carol & Clark, Terry, 2017. "Speak my language or look like me? – Language and ethnicity in bilingual customer service recovery," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 57-68.
    3. Alvarez, Cecilia M.O. & Miniard, Paul W. & Jaccard, James, 2017. "How Hispanic bilinguals' cultural stereotypes shape advertising persuasiveness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 29-36.
    4. Claire I. Tsai & Min Zhao & Dilip Soman, 2022. "Salient knowledge that others are also evaluating reduces judgment extremity," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 366-387, March.
    5. Bearden, William O. & Money, R. Bruce & Nevins, Jennifer L., 2006. "Multidimensional versus unidimensional measures in assessing national culture values: The Hofstede VSM 94 example," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 195-203, February.
    6. Helene Tenzer & Siri Terjesen & Anne-Wil Harzing, 2017. "Language in International Business: A Review and Agenda for Future Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 815-854, December.
    7. Rašković, Matevž & Ding, Zhonghui & Hirose, Morikazu & Žabkar, Vesna & Fam, Kim-Shyan, 2020. "Segmenting young-adult consumers in East Asia and Central and Eastern Europe – The role of consumer ethnocentrism and decision-making styles," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 496-507.
    8. Kubat, Umut & Swaminathan, Vanitha, 2015. "Crossing the cultural divide through bilingual advertising: The moderating role of brand cultural symbolism," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 354-362.
    9. Kum, Doreen & Lee, Yih Hwai & Qiu, Cheng, 2011. "Testing to prevent bad translation: Brand name conversions in Chinese-English contexts," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(6), pages 594-600, June.
    10. Richard, Marie-Odile & Toffoli, Roy, 2009. "Language influence in responses to questionnaires by bilingual respondents: A test of the Whorfian hypothesis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(10), pages 987-994, October.
    11. Fox, Stephen & Groesser, Stefan N., 2016. "Reframing the relevance of research to practice," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 457-465.
    12. Kipnis, Eva & Demangeot, Catherine & Pullig, Chris & Broderick, Amanda J., 2019. "Consumer Multicultural Identity Affiliation: Reassessing identity segmentation in multicultural markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 126-141.
    13. David P. Ashmore & Roselle Thoreau & Corina Kwami & Nicola Christie & Nicholas A. Tyler, 2020. "Using thematic analysis to explore symbolism in transport choice across national cultures," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 607-640, April.
    14. Valenzuela, Ana & Srivastava, Joydeep & Lee, Seonsu, 2005. "The role of cultural orientation in bargaining under incomplete information: Differences in causal attributions," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 72-88, January.
    15. Bernard Dubois & Sandor Czellar & Gilles Laurent, 2005. "Consumer Segments Based on Attitudes Toward Luxury: Empirical Evidence from Twenty Countries," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 115-128, April.
    16. Hristina Nikolova & Cait Lamberton, 2016. "Men and the Middle: Gender Differences in Dyadic Compromise Effects," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(3), pages 355-371.
    17. Alden, Dana L. & He, Yi & Chen, Qimei, 2010. "Service recommendations and customer evaluations in the international marketplace: Cultural and situational contingencies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 38-44, January.
    18. David Ackerman & Jing Hu & Liyuan Wei, 2009. "Confucius, Cars, and Big Government: Impact of Government Involvement in Business on Consumer Perceptions Under Confucianism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 473-482, October.
    19. Chen, Hong & Gangopadhyay, Partha & Singh, Baljeet & Shankar, Sriram, 2022. "Measuring preferences for energy efficiency in ACI and EU nations and uncovering their impacts on energy conservation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    20. Soares, Ana Maria & Farhangmehr, Minoo & Shoham, Aviv, 2007. "Hofstede's dimensions of culture in international marketing studies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 277-284, March.

    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:spr:amsrev:v:3:y:2013:i:4:d:10.1007_s13162-013-0032-2. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.