Effects of moral cognitions and consumer emotions on shoplifting intentions

Empirical results verify the notion that emotions are important in explaining the aberrant consumer act of shoplifting. Age appears to moderate the relative effect of beliefs and emotions in a shoplifting scenario. Although adult consumers' moral beliefs provide more explanatory power in their shoplifting decision calculus, emotions are more important in explaining adolescent shoplifting behavior. Specifically, adults' behavioral intentions to shoplift are affected by their moral beliefs, with attitude toward the act of shoplifting serving as a partial mediator of these effects. College‐aged respondents are largely influenced by beliefs concerning the moral equity of shoplifting. In contrast, both beliefs and emotions influence adolescents significantly, with emotions, specifically fear and power, having a greater impact. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.