This research introduces the unique context of immoral inaction—situations in which consumers have the opportunity to engage in virtuous behaviors but opt against doing so. Through five studies I demonstrate that in such contexts, embarrassment—a negatively valenced self-conscious moral emotion evoked by the perception that one's behavior is worthy of judgment by others—interacts with the use of approach-motivated coping strategies to lead consumers to engage in prosocial compensatory behaviors. Though extant literature suggests that marketers seeking to evoke prosocial behaviors should employ communications and promotions framed to elicit consumers' guilt, such studies are based in contexts whereby individuals feel guilty and/or embarrassed because of something they have done, not for something they did not do. This research suggests that that the condition of immoral inaction serves to evoke a contrasting psychological mechanism that reverses these findings, making embarrassment a more effective driver of desired outcomes when marketers seek to promote overcoming past inactions. These findings are discussed in light of their implications for research and application.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1707317 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Bennett, Andrea Rochelle |
| Contributors | Kidwell, Blair, Paswan, Audhesh, Guzman, Francisco, Sidorova, Anna |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | vii, 85 pages, Text |
| Rights | Public, Bennett, Andrea Rochelle, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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