The influence of pre-existing negative affect on store purchase intentions

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of two negative emotions, boredom and distress, on purchase intentions. The two emotions basically differ on their levels of arousal (low versus high). Based on notions of adaptively coping with negative emotions, it is proposed that willingness to purchase is a manifestation of a goal-directed attempt to improve one’s emotional state. The results of an experiment suggested that “when bored subjects were offered the prospect of shopping in a favorable environment” they expressed higher purchase intentions; however, when offered the prospect of shopping in an uncomfortable environment, they expressed lower purchase intentions. Higher distress led to higher purchase intentions. The differences in purchase intentions between boredom and distress were interpreted by the restriction in attentional capacity induced by heightened arousal. The results also showed that (a) personal relevance accentuated boredom’s influence, and (b) considering the prospect of a favorable store experience reduced levels of positive affect. Implications of the theory and findings for understanding the influence of negative affect on store patronage are discussed.