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Understanding the Role of Consumer Heterogeneity in the Formation of Satisfaction Uncertainty
Author(s) -
Qian Cheng,
Chandrashekaran Murali,
Yu Kangkang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
psychology and marketing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.035
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1520-6793
pISSN - 0742-6046
DOI - 10.1002/mar.20764
Subject(s) - affect (linguistics) , psychology , pleasure , social psychology , cognition , regulatory focus theory , empirical research , focus (optics) , closure (psychology) , arousal , cognitive appraisal , need for cognition , cognitive psychology , economics , statistics , physics , mathematics , communication , neuroscience , creativity , optics , market economy
Prior empirical research has focused on the antecedents and consequences of attitude uncertainty. Drawing on regulatory focus theory and need for closure theory, this research examines the role of individual difference variables in shaping satisfaction uncertainty. This empirical work seeks to explore the interplay of individual difference variables, cognition and affect, in shaping satisfaction uncertainty. The proposed model maintains that need for closure and regulatory focus shape satisfaction uncertainty through their influence on cognitive and affective processes. The model was tested on 192 participants in an experiment using a restaurant scenario. Satisfaction uncertainty is estimated, rather than measured, using the Judgment Uncertainty and Magnitude Parameters (JUMP) model. The results show that prior expectation, pleasure, and arousal have positive effects on satisfaction uncertainty, while perceived performance has a negative impact. Furthermore, regulatory focus is found to moderate the effects of cognition and affect on satisfaction uncertainty, while need for closure moderates the impact of affect on satisfaction uncertainty.