Knowledge that Transforms

Abstract People typically read the titles of content (e.g., an article or post) before deciding whether to consume it. Titles can be composed as a statement (e.g., “Green Tea Has Health Benefits”) or a question (e.g., “Does Green Tea Have Health Benefits?”). Question titles are common and are believed by journalists to increase engagement. The present research examines whether this is the case. Four studies—including archival analyses of Reddit posts ( N = 53,030) and academic articles ( N = 3,078,791), online news headline experiments ( N = 22,743 A/B experiments), and a pre‐registered lab study ( N = 400)—indicate that question‐framed titles reduce reader engagement because they are viewed as less informative. These findings suggest that those wishing to maximize engagement with written content should avoid using questions in their titles.

Abstract Despite longstanding assumptions that embarrassment leads to avoidance, empirical findings remain inconsistent. This meta‐analysis synthesizes 152 independent samples ( N = 64,374) to clarify when and how embarrassment motivates avoidance. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory, we find a curvilinear effect, where avoidance is strongest in moderately intense, embarrassing situations, but diminishes when embarrassment is either too weak to prompt concern or so intense that the consequences of avoidance become too severe to risk. This pattern underscores that avoidance is most likely when individuals perceive a moderate threat and believe avoidance is effective. Moderator analyses reveal that this effect is stronger for product‐related vs. medical contexts, when others are present, when embarrassment is anticipated (vs. experienced), and in collectivist cultures. Comparisons with guilt and shame further demonstrate that embarrassment operates through distinct, socially driven appraisals. These findings reconcile inconsistent findings in the embarrassment literature and offer guidance for reducing harmful avoidance by aligning threat and coping appraisals to promote engagement with socially sensitive behaviors. Implications for theory and practice, as well as future research priorities, are discussed.

Abstract A common assumption among scientists, journalists, and policymakers is that combating misinformation reliably changes behavior. However, the empirical evidence reveals that the belief–behavior association is often modest, variable, and context‐dependent, raising critical questions about when and how to pursue belief versus behavior change. In this paper, we discuss the mechanisms by which beliefs influence behavior and the conditions under which addressing beliefs can change behavior. Specifically, we review the belief‐to‐behavior inference model, which proposes that beliefs influence behavior when (a) the belief is linked to a behavioral goal, (b) the inferential path from belief to behavior is relatively short, and (c) the belief–behavior association is preserved in memory. Our framework aligns intervention decisions with the cognitive architecture of belief–behavior correspondence and the intervention's goals, whether maximizing belief accuracy or behavioral impact. We also reviewed individual and social‐structural interventions that are best suited for changing beliefs versus behavior, conceptually integrating interdisciplinary work on behavior change with the psychology of belief change.

AbstractWhile charities typically use the same messaging when appealing to consumers on their smartphones and PCs, this approach may backfire. Across three studies, we find consumers are less likely to donate on their smartphones (vs. PCs), a phenomenon we call the mobile giving gap. In study 1, we demonstrate that consumers are less willing to donate real money to a charitable organization. In study 2, we provide process support and demonstrate that the focal effect is mediated by other‐focus. Finally, a field experiment using Google display ads (study 3) replicates the focal effect and demonstrates that the negative impact of smartphones is attenuated when the appeal explicitly focuses on others (vs. the self). This study not only provides additional process support, but also suggests an easily implementable strategy that charities can use to close the mobile giving gap. Taken together, our findings offer theoretical insights related to the mobile mindset and its impact on consumer behavior and highlight that charities should tailor their donation appeals based on device type.

Abstract Religion plays an important role in the lives of many individuals across the world, influencing various aspects of their lives. One area where the impact of religion is observed—but underexplored—is in consumer behavior. Research on the role of religion in consumer behavior is still developing, and we propose that focusing on religious values offers a promising direction for advancing this area of research. In this paper, we review existing research on values associated with religion and their influence on a wide range of consumer behavior, using Schwartz's values theory and the moral foundations theory as frameworks. But we also seek to build on these frameworks, and we conclude by suggesting potential avenues for future research on relationships between religious values and consumer behavior.

AbstractConsumers and companies frequently integrate products with lifelike photographs of people, animals, and other entities. However, consumer responses to such products are relatively unknown. Drawing on magical thinking and moral psychology, we propose that, due to a photograph's lifelike resemblance to its referent, consumers believe that photo‐integrated products embody the depicted entity's underlying essence. As such, in cases where consumption compromises the product's integrity (e.g., food, disposable goods), people are less likely to consume photo‐integrated products because doing so is perceived as destroying the depicted entity's essence, which elicits moral discomfort. In contrast, when the photographic image remains intact through consumption, as is the case with durable goods (e.g., magnets), people increase consumption of photo‐integrated products relative to products without photo integration, consistent with their popularity in the marketplace. We highlight two strategies to promote more positive outcomes for managers and consumers alike: (1) choose images of entities whose essence destruction is perceived as less immoral, and (2) increase the durability of the product so the depicted entity's essence is preserved through consumption.

AbstractMuch marketing research focuses on what individual consumers need or want for consumption and how they satisfy these needs or wants themselves. However, consumers often give up money, time, or preferences to help others address their consumption needs and wants across the customer journey. The authors introduce the unifying construct of “consumption sacrifice,” defined as the willing and intentional act of incurring a cost to the self—in money, time, or preferences—when making a consumption decision, with expected direct benefits to one's partner. The authors offer examples of consumption sacrifices along the customer journey and suggest that this construct offers a new lens through which to examine the existing literature on choices involving others. The authors put forward the view that sacrifices are often invisible to recipients—and thus underrecognized and underappreciated—failing to achieve their full potential. At the same time, different sacrifice motives (partner‐focused, relationship‐focused, self‐focused) may affect the extent to which actors care about making sacrifices visible to recipients. Finally, the authors propose future research questions, including what leads consumers to perform more visible sacrifices, what drives the invisibility of sacrifices among recipients, and what are the consequences of performing and receiving invisible sacrifices.

Abstract This research examines how red ambient color in restaurants/cafeterias influences food choices. Prior research shows that red directly related to a food product (such as on nutrition labels or plates/cups) leads to avoidance of unhealthy foods. Yet, many successful fast‐food restaurants (e.g., McDonald's and Dairy Queen) use red in their ambiance, suggesting that in the context of food/eating, ambient red may have a different meaning than product‐related red. Indeed, the current research shows that consumers associate ambient red (e.g., wall color) with unhealthy restaurants. The presence of ambient red (vs. blue, gray, or white) leads to greater preference for unhealthy (i.e., high calorie, high fat, and indulgent) food options because consumers draw on ambient factors to make inferences about products sold in a retail establishment and then choose contextually appropriate products. The effect is moderated by the extent to which a consumer associates red with unhealthy restaurants. This research highlights how, in the context of food/eating, the placement of red influences its meaning and ultimately whether consumers approach or avoid unhealthy foods.

Abstract Meaningful shifts in consumption habits are essential to mitigate climate change and reduce global environmental degradation. Yet, despite the climate urgency and growing consumer concerns, the widespread adoption of sustainable behaviors has proven difficult. Why is this the case? How has the growing interdisciplinary field of sustainable consumption contributed to this debate? And where are the knowledge gaps? Guided by a comprehensive conceptual model, this article (a) delves into the key market , individual , and s ocietal obstacles that hinder consumers from adopting more environmentally sustainable behaviors, (b) explores how practitioners and policymakers can help consumers minimize or circumvent these deterrents, and (c) highlights the pressing gaps in the literature, offering a roadmap for advancing our understanding of how to promote sustainable practices across the consumer journey—from search and purchase to usage and disposal.

AbstractElements of surprise are effective tools for attracting consumers' attention and influencing their choices. Consequently, a common marketing practice is to promote a product or consumption experience as surprising. An example is Netflix, which relabeled its “Play Something” feature as “Surprise Me.” While surprise labeling positively influences choice, across 10 studies and a variety of consumption experiences, this research shows that adding a surprise label can negatively influence actual consumption. Particularly when a consumption experience in itself is not meaningfully different from usual, surprise labeling might result in a perceived label–experience mismatch, ultimately leading to a curtailing of consumption. This research adopts a dual‐process perspective, providing evidence for both the cognitive appraisal of this label–experience mismatch and the heightened state of tense arousal accompanying this expectancy violation. Relatedly, we show that the negative consumption effect can be attenuated by increasing the degree of unexpectedness of the experience or by reducing tense arousal. Moreover, we show that consumers' dispositional need for cognitive closure moderates the observed consumption effect.