Journal of Consumer Behaviour最新文献

{"title":"Visually Rough Appears Healthier: The Effect of Visual Roughness in Package Design on Consumers' Food and Beverage Purchase Intention","authors":"Guangming Li,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Li,&nbsp;Xin Wang","doi":"10.1002/cb.70094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The visual roughness of packaging is widely adopted as a design strategy to promote healthy food and beverages. However, empirical evidence on its impact on consumers' health perceptions shows marked inconsistencies. Based on associative learning theory, this study examines consumer lay beliefs about the visual roughness of packaging and how and when it impacts consumer purchase intention through four studies. The findings reveal that visually rough (vs. smooth) packaging significantly enhances consumers' purchase intention, with perceived naturalness and perceived healthiness functioning as serial mediators. Moreover, the effect is moderated by the presence (vs. absence) of an organic label on the packaging and the processing levels (unprocessed vs. processed vs. ultra-processed) of food and beverage products. Specifically, when an organic label is present or the product is unprocessed, the serial mediating effects of perceived naturalness and perceived healthiness on purchase intention become non-significant. Notably, for ultra-processed products, visually smooth packaging increases consumers' purchase intention. These findings contribute substantially to the literature on visual marketing and consumer health perceptions. Furthermore, this study provides practical guidance for food and beverage enterprises regarding package design.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"727-743"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Waiting for a Release: The Expectation in Virtual Gaming Communities","authors":"Lucas Lopes Ferreira de Souza,&nbsp;Márcia de Freitas Duarte,&nbsp;Felipe Gerhard,&nbsp;João Pedro Pessoa se Castro Pereira,&nbsp;João Victor Locio Silveira","doi":"10.1002/cb.70072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70072","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examines how virtual gaming communities influence and maintain player expectations before, during, and after a game's release. A mixed-methods study was conducted, comprising a netnography followed by an experiment. First, a netnographic study was conducted over 12 months, tracking communities to understand player behavior and analyzing discussions and interactions within the online communities of God of War players across multiple platforms. Second, an experiment was conducted with a 2 (expectation: high vs. low) × 2 (commentary: positive vs. negative) design to determine the effect of expectation after comments from community members. The findings reveal that gaming communities serve as both amplifiers and regulators of player expectations, influencing anticipation, disappointment, and post-release reception. The study also highlights issues of rivalry, toxicity, and community-driven narratives that shape consumer sentiment. Findings suggest that it is important for managers to monitor official and unofficial communities and respond quickly to their members. Communities are important for tracking the expectations that consumers have about the product and provide opportunities to improve the service before and after the release. Based on these findings, we propose a framework for managing expectations in gaming communities, providing strategic guidance for developers seeking to manage player expectations throughout the lifecycle of a game.</p>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"534-560"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cb.70072","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visibility of Black-Owned Businesses: The Impact of Minority Cues and Support Appeals in Online Consumer Behavior","authors":"Min Chung Han","doi":"10.1002/cb.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite efforts to increase the visibility of minority-owned small businesses, such as ownership badges and photos on e-commerce platforms, the impact of these initiatives on consumers remains unclear. This study addresses the gap by exploring how different types of minority-ownership cues affect consumer responses in online commerce. Study 1 tested a minority-ownership badge with a casually dressed minority owner photo, while Study 2 incorporated the company's support for social causes and a business-attired minority owner recognized as a leadership awardee. Given the limited attention to these cues within e-commerce contexts, this study offers insights into how consumer responses may be shaped by minority cues, such as badges, owner photos, attire types and social cause messages. The findings indicate that the current marketing approach of simply presenting minority-ownership cues is neither effective nor sufficient to enhance consumer support for minority-owned businesses.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"603-617"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emotional Versus Informational: How Does Ad Appeal Influence Consumer Empathy and Responses to Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns","authors":"Nianqi Deng,&nbsp;Yanfang Hu,&nbsp;Xinyu Jiang","doi":"10.1002/cb.70104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70104","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examines how emotional versus informational appeals in cause-related marketing (CRM) ads affect consumer responses through empathy (cognitive and affective empathy), and tests the moderating roles of ad focus and brand type. Drawing on the heuristic-systematic model (HSM), two laboratory experiments were conducted following the principle of random assignment and between-subjects design. Study 1 (<i>N</i> = 267) employed a 2 (ad appeal: emotional vs. informational) × 2 (ad focus: cause-focused vs. product-oriented) design, and Study 2 (<i>N</i> = 314) used a 2 (ad appeal: emotional vs. informational) × 2 (brand type: warmth vs. competence) design. Results show that emotional ads boost responses via affective empathy when the ad is cause-focused or the brand is warm. Informational ads work better through cognitive empathy when the ad is product-oriented or the brand is competent. This study is the first to apply the HSM framework to CRM ad appeals, providing insights into the underlying process of these moderating effects.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"873-884"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147564813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gamified Change: The Transformative Impact of Reflection, Empowerment, and Gamification Motivation","authors":"Afshin Tanouri,&nbsp;Ann-Marie Kennedy,&nbsp;Ekant Veer","doi":"10.1002/cb.70088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70088","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The purpose of this research is to explore how gamification drives transformative change in consumers. Doing so, an empowerment construct is conceptualized and introduced to the concept of transformative gamification, and the efficacy of the concept is evaluated using empirical data. A mixed methodology is used in which a gamified mobile app focusing on interactive stories is co-designed and tested in a quasi-experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of the app as a transformative gamified service in helping university students replace dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies with functional ones (as the target behavior). The findings indicate that storytelling, reflection, and empowerment are the three key drivers of change in consumers' behaviors in transformative gamification services. In addition, the results of this study led to the introduction of the <i>cycles of change</i> as a practical approach in driving behavior change in gamified services. The results have implications for consumer behavior through understanding the process of behavior change in gamified services as well as providing insight into how to design and implement such services to bring about transformative behavior change.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"618-635"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human Versus AI in Checkout Charity: How Time Pressure, Persuasion Knowledge, and Ulterior Motive Shape Donation and Store Patronage Intentions","authors":"Irfan Shamim,&nbsp;Tathagata Ghosh,&nbsp;S. Sreejesh","doi":"10.1002/cb.70068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70068","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This research investigates how the source of a checkout charity appeal—human versus artificial intelligence (AI) agent—interacts with contextual (time pressure) and psychological (persuasion knowledge and access to ulterior motives) factors to shape consumer donation and store patronage intentions. Grounded in the self-regulatory resource depletion framework and the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), we conducted four, between-subjects experiments (total <i>N</i> = 898), each designed to isolate a specific boundary condition under which AI versus human appeals differ in effectiveness. Study 1 manipulated situational time pressure and found that AI-led appeals increased donation intentions under high time constraints due to their lower social demands, whereas human-led appeals were more effective when time pressure was low. Study 2 extended this effect by treating time pressure as a chronic trait and replicating the interaction in a different retail context. In Study 3, we manipulated persuasion knowledge and showed that high-knowledge consumers preferred AI appeals due to higher perceived credibility, whereas low-knowledge consumers favored human appeals. Study 4 introduced access to a retailer's ulterior motives and revealed that AI appeals enhanced store patronage intentions under high transparency, whereas human appeals diminished them. These findings refine existing theory by demonstrating how AI agents can reduce social frictions and enhance trust under resource-depleting or skeptical conditions. The results offer actionable guidance for retailers and nonprofits: deploy AI-led appeals in high-pressure or high-skepticism settings, and human agents in contexts that reward warmth and relational engagement.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"517-533"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Waiting for a Release: The Expectation in Virtual Gaming Communities","authors":"Lucas Lopes Ferreira de Souza,&nbsp;Márcia de Freitas Duarte,&nbsp;Felipe Gerhard,&nbsp;João Pedro Pessoa se Castro Pereira,&nbsp;João Victor Locio Silveira","doi":"10.1002/cb.70072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70072","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examines how virtual gaming communities influence and maintain player expectations before, during, and after a game's release. A mixed-methods study was conducted, comprising a netnography followed by an experiment. First, a netnographic study was conducted over 12 months, tracking communities to understand player behavior and analyzing discussions and interactions within the online communities of God of War players across multiple platforms. Second, an experiment was conducted with a 2 (expectation: high vs. low) × 2 (commentary: positive vs. negative) design to determine the effect of expectation after comments from community members. The findings reveal that gaming communities serve as both amplifiers and regulators of player expectations, influencing anticipation, disappointment, and post-release reception. The study also highlights issues of rivalry, toxicity, and community-driven narratives that shape consumer sentiment. Findings suggest that it is important for managers to monitor official and unofficial communities and respond quickly to their members. Communities are important for tracking the expectations that consumers have about the product and provide opportunities to improve the service before and after the release. Based on these findings, we propose a framework for managing expectations in gaming communities, providing strategic guidance for developers seeking to manage player expectations throughout the lifecycle of a game.</p>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"534-560"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cb.70072","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Impacts of the Information Cocoon Effect on Customer Emotional, Cognitive, and Behavioral Engagement in Short Video Marketing","authors":"Zhipeng Zhang,&nbsp;Liyi Zhang","doi":"10.1002/cb.70090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The information cocoon phenomenon, prevalent in social media, profoundly influences user experience, yet its impact on customer engagement remains debated. This study constructs a model based on 662,000 comments on 1128 short video advertisements to extract the information cocoon effect (ICE), and customers' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement through data mining methods and large language models, aiming to investigate the influence of the ICE on customer engagement. Results reveal that the ICE positively affects customers' emotional and cognitive engagement but negatively affects their behavioral engagement, and the product category, influencer type, and release time play moderating roles to varying degrees on these impacts. Drawing upon variable extraction techniques, our study broadens the quantitative methodologies and the range of applications for the information cocoon concept, underscores its varied influences on customer engagement, enhances the theoretical comprehension of customer engagement, and concurrently offers practical recommendations for marketing professionals.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"857-872"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Virtual Meets Real: The Effect of Influencer Type and Message Framing on Sustainable Fashion Intentions","authors":"Aun Ahmed,&nbsp;Sonia Kataria,&nbsp;Sumit Saxena,&nbsp;Amit Shankar","doi":"10.1002/cb.70086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Sustainable fashion is both a growing consumer trend and an urgent societal imperative, yet the use of virtual influencers to promote sustainable fashion raises concerns about authenticity and greenwashing. This research examines whether hybrid influencers—virtual influencers paired with human companions—can enhance the persuasiveness of sustainability communication. Study 1, a qualitative exploration (21 interviews), identified three key pro-environmental behavior themes: sustainability awareness, sustainable practices, and environmental citizenship (e.g., advocating green fashion within social networks). Interview data also reveal distinct perceived strengths of each influencer type (e.g., genuineness in human influencers, consistent engagement in virtual influencers, and relatability and trustworthiness in hybrid influencers). Building on these insights and prior literature, we propose a conceptual framework explaining how influencer type and message framing shape sustainable fashion intentions. Two subsequent experiments (Study 2, <i>N</i> = 234; Study 3, <i>N</i> = 457) confirmed that hybrid influencers were more effective than virtual-only influencers in promoting sustainable fashion intentions. Moreover, message valence moderated this effect; negative message framing was especially persuasive when delivered by hybrid influencers. Across studies, wishful identification emerged as the key mediator, while anthropomorphism was ruled out as a mediator, highlighting the limitation of anthropomorphism in the sustainability messaging context. Together, these findings advance theory on virtual influencers and sustainability communication and offer practical guidance for brands and nonprofits seeking to authentically engage next-generation fashion consumers.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"676-702"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147566849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consumer Vulnerability: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda","authors":"Anshul Verma,&nbsp;Charles Jebarajakirthy,&nbsp;Ruturaj Baber,&nbsp;Haroon Iqbal Maseeh,&nbsp;Jeetesh Kumar,&nbsp;Raiswa Saha,&nbsp;Samik Shome","doi":"10.1002/cb.70092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aims to perform a thorough synthesis of the literature on consumer vulnerability through a systematic review of total 87 research papers in this field, published in top-tier journals as defined by Journal Citation Report's (JCR) impact factor of at least 1.0 or an A*/A rating in the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) journal quality list. A thorough synthesis of the literature on consumer vulnerability was presented using a hybrid review approach that integrated bibliometric and lexicometric analysis with a systematic literature review. Numerous theories have been applied to the study of consumer vulnerability, according to the findings, with the social exchange theory, resource-based theory, and consumer culture theory being the most frequently utilized. A conceptual framework that depicts the connections between the antecedents, mediators, and effects mentioned in the literature on consumer vulnerability is also suggested by the review. Four main themes in consumer vulnerability research were found by lexicometric analysis: research and consequences, behavioral aspects of consumer vulnerability, characteristics of vulnerable consumers, and sources of consumer vulnerability. Finally, we interviewed five academic experts and five industry experts to validate the findings and model. The review provides critical insights for marketing managers, merchandisers, and policy-makers to address and reduce consumer vulnerability. While the consumer vulnerability literature is growing, it is often incoherent and fragmented. This study addresses this gap by synthesizing research in this field to provide a comprehensive understanding of the consumer vulnerability phenomenon. To expand research in this field, the study also identifies understudied aspects of consumer vulnerability and makes recommendations for future research directions including alternative theories, context, characteristics, and methodologies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48047,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Behaviour","volume":"25 2","pages":"744-784"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}