Cognition and Affect Interplay: A Framework for the Tourist Vacation Decision-Making Process

Abstract

The article investigates traditional decision-making choice models and offers a new way of thinking about the tourist vacation-making intricacies. Specifically, this article examines the interrelationship between affect and cognition in the tourist vacation decision-making process and argues that consumers, during each vacation decision-making task, use both affect and cognitive processes in varying degrees depending on their valence and intensity. The traditional view of decision making posits that the consumer is a rational decision maker who proceeds through a series of prescribed steps before finding an optimal decision solution. However, with the growing prominence on the role of affect, "hot" aspects of cognition in psychology, and neuroscience investigations, much of the traditional cognitive-dominated theories are being reexamined. A tourist decision-making framework is presented demonstrating the proposed theory and provides understanding to the influences that affect and cognition have on the decision-making process. After delineating these concepts, propositions are presented followed by the Discussion and Conclusions section that summarizes and discusses challenges associated with studying affect.

Emotions, price and quality expectations in hotel services

“…Walls et al (2012) and Clarke (2013) emphasized emotion as a central force rather than a contributing influence in tourists’ decision-making processes. Eid and El-Gohary (2016a) found a positive correlation between emotion and tourists’ price perceptions.…”

An Immersive Self-Report Tool for the Affective Appraisal of 360° VR Videos

“…This is expected to lead to better informed decisions and more realistic expectations, ultimately resulting in a more satisfactory vacation. In this type of experiential marketing (Schmitt, 1999), it is crucial to understand the viewer's emotional responses (Prayag et al, 2013;Beck and Egger, 2018), since travel-decisions are significantly influenced by momentary emotions (Walls et al, 2011). The goal is to enhance the persuasive power of VR by presenting destinations in creative ways that induce higher levels of arousal and positive valence (Tussyadiah et al, 2016).…”

The influence process of electronic word-of-mouth on traveller's visit intention: a conceptual framework

“…Travel process-orientated perspective demonstrates that decisions of purchasing tourism services occur in stages (Smallman and Moore, 2010;Smallman et al, 2012;Walls et al, 2011;Sirakaya and Woodside, 2005). Concretely information gathering stage, alternatives assessing and eliminating stage, alternative choosing stage, and finally travel undertaking stage (Mansfeld, 1992).…”