Knowledge that Transforms

AbstractA review of the extant literature reveals that the theoretical underpinnings of the majority of loyalty program research rest on psychological mechanisms from three specific domains—status, habit, and relational. We propose that to understand how loyalty programs actually work, a broader, more holistic research perspective is needed to account for the simultaneous effects across these three theoretical domains as well as both cross‐customer and temporal effects. The contribution of this approach is a fresh research agenda advanced in 15 research propositions.

AbstractOne guideline given to online reviewers is to acknowledge a product's pros and cons. Yet, I argue that presenting two sides is not always more helpful and can even be less persuasive than presenting one side. Specifically, the effects of two‐ versus one‐sided arguments depend on the perceived consistency between a reviewer's arguments and rating. Across a content analysis and three experiments that vary the information provided in the online review and whether the ratings are positive or negative, the results support these predictions. Furthermore, beliefs that the reviewer is able (vs. willing) to tell the truth mediated the effects.

AbstractThis research proposes that the concept of emotional attachment, and specifically the independent constructs of psychological ownership and affective reaction, can help explain many of the endowment effect findings documented in the literature. We define these constructs and then test them across a set of nine studies in which we both replicate previous and generate new endowment effect findings, and then show that psychological ownership and affective reaction can mediate the effects. In doing so, we offer direct empirical support for the idea of emotional attachment as a driver of loss aversion while also providing practitioners and future endowment effect researchers with new insights about the psychological processes that underlie the endowment effect.

AbstractThe extent to which a possession is linked to self is a critical determinant of whether a possession elicits grief if lost. We propose a framework for understanding the formation of the possession–self link, arguing that a possession's ability to represent the important domains on which a person bases her self‐worth affects the possession–self link. We also show that dispositional tendencies to incorporate possessions into the self moderate this relationship, while the monetary value of the possession does not affect the strength of the possession–self link.

AbstractThis article explores nonconscious effects on consumers' tendency to seek consistency versus variety in sequential choices. We propose that activation of concepts related to a positive frame of repetition (e.g., “loyalty”) triggers a preference‐based construal of consumption that encourages consistency seeking. In contrast, activation of concepts related to a negative frame of repetition (e.g., “boredom”) triggers a satiation‐based construal of consumption that encourages variety seeking. Four studies demonstrate that which construal of consumption consumers adopt can be activated outside of awareness, impacts consumers' experienced satiation, and determines in turn the amount of variety they incorporate into their choices.