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A variety of psychophysiological techniques have been used in the measurement of consumer reactions to marketing stimuli since the 60s. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to present a descriptive review of the psychophysiological techniques and (2) to discuss critical concerns about validity, reliability, and applicability of these psychophysiological techniques raised by previous research. The strengths and weaknesses of ten major psychophysiological techniques are analyzed on the basis of the summaries of 67 marketing studies that have employed psychophysiological techniques. This study shows a need for marketing research to establish validity and reliability and to emphasize applicability when psychophysiological techniques are to be used. Meeting such a need requires an understanding of the nuanced psychophysiological process that links particular psychological antecedents and the physiological consequences being measured. A framework for analyzing this psychophysiological process in marketing research is provided.

The coauthors wish to acknowledge the contribution of the entire X-Culture team: Without the hard work the 141 instructors and thousands of students do every day, the X-Culture Project in general and this study in particular would not be possible. We also would like to acknowledge the support of our many corporate partners, including Gramedia, Lidaris, Innospark, and Caja de Burgos, whose involvement makes the project more meaningful and educational for our students.

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Purpose -This paper aims to discuss the first effort to examine the relationships between satisfaction, the four loyalty phases, fortitude, and a sense of virtual community. Design/methodology/approach -Oliver proposed an innovative framework to explain the relationships between satisfaction, loyalty, fortitude, and a sense of community. Findings -Analysis of questionnaire responses of 493 customers of banks and credit unions indicated that satisfaction, cognitive, affective, conative, and action loyalty are positively related to fortitude.Research limitations/implications -The Beyond Loyalty Model (BLM) does not address important strategic issues often associated with loyalty, such as firm profitability, complaint resolution, and firm profitability. Practical implications -This research is the first to find that customers of financial institutions acquire satisfaction and strong loyalty ties with their bank or credit union after dealing with their financial services provider for a relatively short period of time. Thus financial institutions should consistently seek relationship-building opportunities from the outset of their relationships with their customers. Originality/value -The resulting Beyond Loyalty Model (BLM) improves upon the American Bankers Association's ABA Financial Client Satisfaction Index, and is a means by which financial institutions can monitor and enhance the satisfaction, loyalty, and fortitude of the customers of financial institutions. Further, the increasing acceptance of virtual banking calls for additional study of this area.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop and test a sense of consumption community measurement scale. The concept is examined in an exploratory study in the context of the perceptions of customers of financial services firms.Design/methodology/approachThis research consults the marketing, banking, psychology, and public policy literature. A sense of consumption community scale is tested for validity via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Scale reliability analysis is also conducted.FindingsThe result is a second‐order construct composed of the first‐order constructs, camaraderie and communality, and social capital. The construct is found to be a means of measuring the strength of consumers' perceptions of consumption community. Additional evidence of its practical value is demonstrated in four findings. First, partial support is found that men perceive a greater sense of community than women. Second, there is a positive relationship between age and perceived sense of community. Third, no significant relationship was found between the various types of financial institutions and customers' sense of consumption community. Fourth, an identical finding was obtained for the relationship between sense of community and longevity. And fifth, this research also documents limitations of the Sense of Consumption Community Construct due to the exploratory nature of this research effort.Originality/valueThe scale formulated in this research is the first to measure a sense of community among the customers of financial institutions.

The purpose of this study is to search for differences in humor use between Arabs and Americans and to provide managerial insights regarding such differences. We use Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as a theoretical basis for hypothesizing differences in humor styles between Arabs and Americans. The results indicate that Americans scored significantly higher than Arabs on self-enhancing and self-defeating humor style. There was no significant difference regarding affiliative and aggressive humor. Both Arab and American men scored significantly higher in aggressive humor than did Arab and American women. Managerial implications are provided for both practitioners and researchers.