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Applying the Functional Theory of Attitudes to Understanding the Influence of Store Atmosphere on Store Inferences
Author(s) -
Schlosser Ann E.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of consumer psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.433
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1532-7663
pISSN - 1057-7408
DOI - 10.1207/s15327663jcp0704_03
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , psychology , perception , quality (philosophy) , social psychology , identity (music) , situational ethics , product (mathematics) , function (biology) , social identity theory , purchasing , appeal , advertising , marketing , social group , aesthetics , business , philosophy , physics , geometry , mathematics , epistemology , neuroscience , evolutionary biology , biology , political science , law , thermodynamics
Past research suggests that store atmosphere affects merchandise quality inferences, in turn affecting store image. Yet, lighting, music, and other atmospheric features also serve a social identity function (i.e., a social role). According to the functional theory of attitudes, appeals are most persuasive when they address the motives underlying the attitude targeted for change. If store atmosphere acts as a social identity appeal, then an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere should positively influence quality perceptions of social identity products (i.e., socially communicative products) but not utilitarian products (i.e., intrinsically rewarding products). To test this, two experiments were conducted that differed in the type of social and utilitarian products under evaluation and the degree of store information provided. The results of both studies indicated that store atmosphere influenced perceptions of social identity products but had little effect on perceptions of utilitarian products. Furthermore, store atmosphere elicited different shopping motives and purchasing intentions. In addition to contributing to the understanding of how store atmosphere affects store inferences, this article extends previous research and theory on attitude functions by suggesting that situations can elicit motives as well as serve as subtle, product‐nonspecific appeals, selectively affecting judgments of products that are consistent (rather than inconsistent) with the situational appeal's function.