The Role of Anticipatory Self-Evaluation in Consumer Purchase Motivation

Abstract

We argue in this paper that anticipatory self-evaluation plays a significant role in decision making when consumers consider choices between/among alternative courses of action. We hypothesize that purchase motivation is a function of four different types of anticipatory self-evaluations. These are: (1) the anticipatory self-evaluation in relation to the social consequences of purchase outcome finale, (2) anticipatory self-evaluation in relation to the social consequences of purchase completion, (3) anticipatory self-evaluation in relation to the social consequences of purchase non-completion, and (4) anticipatory self-evaluation in relation to the social consequences of purchase non-engagement. A study was conducted using 300 marketing undergraduates, who role played a scenario of being a business intern in an insurance company trying to decide on what to wear at work (and accordingly what to buy). The results indicated that consumers’ purchase motivation is significantly affected more by anticipatory self-evaluations in relation to the consequences of purchase outcome finale and purchase completion than by anticipatory self-evaluations in relation to the social consequences of purchase non-completion and purchase non-engagement.KeywordsSocial ConsequenceDirect FunctionSuccessful CompletionVirginia TechFailure ActionThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.