When Good Cheer Goes Unrequited: How Emotional Receptivity Affects Evaluation of Expressed Emotion

Abstract

In three studies, the authors introduce and probe the role of emotional receptivity in consumer–marketer interactions. Emotional receptivity refers to a person's disposition toward experiencing a preferred level of emotional intensity. The results from the first two studies conducted in the laboratory and the field collectively demonstrate that consumers feel greater enjoyment and enhanced liking for the marketer when there is a close match between their emotional receptivity and the level of emotional intensity displayed by the marketer. In the third study, the authors show that consumers’ emotional receptivity can be temporarily increased or decreased using advertisements that depict more or less expressive social interactions, respectively. The findings are similar to those observed in the first two studies. In addition, a preliminary study establishes the discriminant validity of the proposed battery of emotional receptivity items from existing related constructs. The authors discuss the theoretical and managerial implications and offer suggestions for further research.