Discussion

The aim of this research is to answer some questions that remain unresolved in this emerging area, given the lack of studies about AE conceptualization and their influence on consumer behavior.

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Study 1 showed that the promotional scenario used is perceived as realistic and believable, and the tablet device is perceived as a desired product. Our first contribution is to recognize the existence of a four-legged framework of AE and its functioning. The great majority of consumers anticipated several emotions reflecting both positive and negative affective consequences of their decision, suggesting that consumers spontaneously engage in a decision process of comparison between the affective benefits and costs of the decision. What is more relevant in our research is that not only purchase but also non-purchase entailed a judgment of the decision in terms of affective

consequences. Study 2 determined each of the emotions included in the four scales: 8 posAEp, 12 negAEp, 8 posAE~p, and 12 posAE~p. Results indicated that consumers anticipate that the purchase and non-purchase decisions produce different affective consequences, and that the number of

negative AE is higher than positive ones. Literature supports longer lists of negative AE than positive ones because negative emotions are expressed through a greater variety of conceptually different terms (e.g., fear, sadness, anger) than positive emotions (Izard, 1977; Winterich and Haws, 2011).

Studies 1 and 2 confirmed our first proposition: consumers tend to anticipate different valenced emotions as a consequence of the single purchase decision. According to a cognitive-evaluative interpretation of AE, we argue that consumers potentially question the purchase decision of the great majority of products and that these purchase decision processes might be preceded by a vacillation period in which individuals face a trade-off between different anticipated affective consequences in decision making to resolve the best possible emotional outcome as a determinant of choices to act or not.

Deepening on the understanding of the four-legged framework of AE, Study 3 found that

negAE~p has a positive effect on desire, and negAEp has a negative effect on desire. The theoretical implication of these findings is twofold. On the one hand, negative AE of either purchase or non- purchase seems more relevant than positive AE in the decision process. This conclusion clearly agrees with broad research based on the relevance of individuals’ avoidance of negative affective consequences (e.g., Zeelenberg et al., 2000). Nevertheless, negative AE are not limited to regret aversion but to a whole set of different negative AE of both action and inaction. On the other hand, while the effects of positive AE were not significant, the effect of negative AE on desire would depend on its instrumentality (leading to purchase or non-purchase, respectively); interestingly, the avoidance of the negative emotional reactions to non-purchase activate desire, while the avoidance of the negative affective consequences of purchase deactivate desire. This finding agrees with previous findings which showed that emotions depend on their instrumentality (e.g. Brown, Cron, & Slocum, 1997; Bagozzi et al., 1998). In addition, Study 3 revealed that the effect of AE on purchase

probability is non-significant, but desire has a clear positive impact on purchase probability. The combination of these two latter findings suggests that desire mediates the effect of some sets of AE on purchase decision, specifically negative AE toward both purchase and non-purchase decisions.

Therefore, our second and third propositions are partially confirmed, since some groups of AE affect purchase probability by means of desire, and according to their specific functionality for or against the purchase.

Nevertheless, further research should analyze and further develop the applicability of this framework in consumer behavior. For example, the number and kind of AE participating in the purchase decision may vary depending on the product and the expected outcome (e.g. influenced by marketing variables). As well, another avenue for further research is to explore the association amongst AE depending on their impact on choice. Our work clearly points out a possible

combination of AE according to their instrumentality (posAEp and negAE~p would lead to purchase, while negAEp and posAE~p would lead to a non-purchase decision), but other elements could be altering or mediating the influence of these groups of variables on purchase probability.

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Merchandising at the point of sale: differential effect of ends of aisle and islands  

ÁLVARO GARRIDO-MORGADO (UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA)  

Co-author(s): Óscar González-Benito (University of Salamanca)

Access to this paper is restricted to registered delegates of the EMAC 2013 Regional Conference.

Merchandising at the point of sale: differential effect of ends of aisle and