مطالعه تجربی در ارتباط بین احساسات مصرفی و وفاداری برند An empirical study on the relationship between consumption emotions and brand loyalty

Introduction Emotions affect human behavior to a considerable extent. Similarly, emotions influence consumers’ behavior during and after their purchases. Since the 1980s, several studies have examined consumption emotions, and the relationships between consumption emotions, satisfaction, and other post-purchase behaviors have gained wide recognition (Louro, Pieters, & Zeelenberg, 2005; Westbrook, 1980; White, 2010). In addition, brand loyalty, which is as an important variable in post-purchase behavior, has drawn increasing attention. Although some research has found that emotions affect brand loyalty in service industries, few studies have explored the relationship between consumption emotions and brand loyalty in product consumption. Consumption emotions, as the result of factors that are controllable by marketers, may also affect customers’ brand loyalty to the manufacturers. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between consumption emotions and brand loyalty in product consumption with the aim of contributing to managerial practice in the industry. Based on the literature review, in this study, the authors categorize consumption emotions into attribute-level emotions (ALE) and beyond attribute-level emotions (BALE). The authors hypothesize a theoretical model that incorporates the relationship between ALE and BALE. They test the model using the empirical data, and they describe the research results. Finally, they discuss the managerial implications, limitations of the study, and future directions for research. Literature Review and Research Hypothesis Consumption emotions induced by product consumption The term “consumption emotions” refers to a series of specific emotional reactions that occur in the consumer’s use of a product (Westbrook & Oliver, 1991). How does emotion affect behavior? Weiner (1985) uses attributional theory to explain this causality. According to attributional theory, human behavior is determined by three attributional dimensions of emotions: the locus of causality, controllability, and the stability of emotions. Regarding the locus of causality, for example, people tend to behave differently when the emotion is attributed to the self or to others. Thus, consumption emotions would have a greater influence on post-purchase behavior if the consumer attributed the cause to the marketer rather than himself or herself. Moreover, the effect of emotions upon post-purchase behavior would be greater if their cause was identified by consumers as controllable rather than uncontrollable (Westbrook, 1987). Thus, there is a potential area for research on the causes of emotions, which may shed light on the understanding of consumers’ post-purchase behavior.