After a negative consumption experience, consumers often like to muse about how their consumption might have turned out better. For example, a traveler who missed a flight may imagine that "if I had taken another transport to the airport, I might have caught the flight," or "I would have been enjoying my vacation if I had caught the flight." These imaginations, called counterfactual thoughts, have been documented to pose two effects on responses to negative consumptions. On one hand, they are functional because they provide corrective information that helps consumers solve problems associated with the consumption (Markman et al. 1993; Roese 1994). On the other hand, they are painful because they accentuate negative feelings about the consumption when they highlight the possibility that the consumption might have turned out better (Gleicher et al. 1990; Markman et al. 1993). Existing understanding on these two effects suggests that while people may learn a good lesson from their counterfactual thoughts, they have to contain the negative feelings induced by these thoughts. / In addition, this research also identifies the situational factors that promote the generation of process- and outcome-focused counterfactuals. Consumers are more likely to generate process-focused (versus outcome-focused) counterfactuals when they expect that the consumption is more likely to repeat. They are more likely to generate outcome-focused (versus process-focused) counterfactuals the closer they had missed a better-off consumption outcome. / In summary, this research contributes to the counterfactual literature by proposing thought focus as a new dimension to classify counterfactuals into process- and outcome-focused counterfactuals. It also advances existing understanding on the two effects of counterfactual generation and demonstrates that consumers may enjoy the problem-solving function of counterfactual generation without paying a psychological cost. Finally, this research provides managers insights into when promoting counterfactual generation is beneficial and when it is undesirable. / This research is motivated to tease out the problem-solving and affect accentuation effects of counterfactual generation, such that people may learn a lesson from counterfactual generation without paying incremental psychological cost. To start with, this research proposes thought focus as a new dimension to classify counterfactual thoughts into process- and outcome-focused counterfactuals. This classification is then used as a means to tease out the two effects of counterfactual generation. Specifically, it is argued that process- and outcome-focused counterfactuals pose differential consequences to consumers who experienced negative consumptions. Process-focused counterfactuals, which focus on the process leading to a better-off imagined outcome (e.g., taking another transport to airport), promote corrective behaviors in subsequent consumptions and reduce the chance of having negative experiences in the future. Outcome-focused counterfactuals, which focus on the benefits brought by a better-off outcome (e.g., enjoying the vacation), intensify the negative feelings (such as disappointment and unhappiness) about the current consumption. / Ho, Ka Yan. / Adviser: Jessica Y. Y. Kwong. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-11, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-73). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:cuhk.edu.hk/oai:cuhk-dr:cuhk_344575 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Contributors | Ho, Ka Yan, Chinese University of Hong Kong Graduate School. Division of Business Administration. |
| Source Sets | The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Language | English, Chinese |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, theses |
| Format | electronic resource, microform, microfiche, 1 online resource (xi, 75 leaves : ill.) |
| Rights | Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons “Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International” License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) |
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