No abstract

The subjective experience of ambivalence results from possessing both positive and negative reactions. Why do individuals sometimes experience ambivalence when they possess only positive or only negative reactions (i.e., univalent attitudes)? This research advances and provides support for the notion that anticipated conflicting reactions underlie such ambivalence. Anticipated conflicting reactions occur when an individual possesses no, or only a few, manifest conflicting reactions and yet anticipates that there may exist conflicting information of which they are unaware. Support is provided by three experiments in which anticipated conflicting reactions mediated the influence of amount of univalent information on feelings of ambivalence. (c) 2007 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

brand loyalty, corporate evaluation, culture, ethical consumption values, Fair Trade, product beliefs,

This study aims to investigate the interactive effects of brand biography and brand transgression type on consumers' forgiveness intention. Brand transgression is categorized as relational or nonrelational, with the former (compared to the latter) seriously undermining consumers' high identification with underdog brands. Across four experimental studies in which transgression type is manipulated in three different ways, it is confirmed that when facing nonrelational transgressions, participants show greater forgiveness intention for underdog than for top-dog brands. However, when facing relational transgressions, they do not show increased forgiveness intention for underdog brands compared to top-dog brands. Moreover, perceived anger mediates the interaction effect between brand biography and brand transgression type on forgiveness intention. The theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

What types of message appeals in charity advertisements are most likely to convince people to donate? Using university rivalry (Studies 1 and 2), nationality (Study 3), and freely chosen groups (Study 4), this research proposes that the beneficiaries' group identity moderates the relative effectiveness of three benefit foci of message appeals in charity advertisements. The results indicate that other-benefit appeals produce greater donation intentions than external self-benefit appeals for in-group beneficiaries, whereas external self-benefit appeals produce greater donation intentions than other-benefit appeals for rival (Studies 1-3 ), dissociative (Study 4), and neutral (Study 4) out-group beneficiaries. Emotional-benefit appeals are more effective than external self-benefit appeals for in-group beneficiaries, and are more effective than other-benefit appeals for neutral out-group beneficiaries, whereas they are less effective than external self-benefit appeals for dissociative out-group beneficiaries (Study 4). Empathy and belief in personal benefits mediate the interaction effect of benefit focus and beneficiary group on donation intentions (Studies 3 and 4).Theoretical and managerial implications of the current findings are discussed.