The reinforcing and aversive consequences of customer experience. The role of consumer confusion

Abstract

This study aims to provide insights on the concept of customer experience, its effect on consumer behavior and the role of previous experiences. It uses a behavioral framework and measures the reinforcing and aversive experiential influences on (approach and avoidance) behavior. The study involved 260 participants from an online research panel. The descriptions of two retail situations were used, chosen to differ in terms of levels of previous experience/ learning history. The results indicate that confusion, as aversive consequence of retail situations, acts along with functional and social reinforcement to determine behavior. The study further explains and proves the role of accumulated previous encounters on determining the reinforcing and aversive elements of experience. The implications for theory and marketing management are discussed.

Dimensions of Retail Customer Experience and Its Outcomes: A Literature Review and Directions for Future Research

“…S = significant, ns = not significant, ps = partially significant (study count). * [22], [23], and [24] found negative relationships; ** [25] found that negative CX positively influenced dissatisfaction and negative WOM, positive affective CX positively influenced satisfaction and positive WOM; all other findings identify positive CX and positive effects with the outcome. [30] used to measure positive emotions, and combined it with a measurement of mobile shopping app satisfaction used by Song and Zinkhan [31].…”

“…One paper researched online and in-store omnichannel experiences [52]. Lastly, four papers examined CX with regard to shopping or retailers in general without focusing on a particular channel [23,39,40,48]. In summary, we found that PAD was used to measure CX across all channels.…”

“…Micu et al [47] conducted an online survey (n = 400; 200 Tunisian, 200 Romanian) and found an impact of the customer's affective experiential state on perceived value, e-satisfaction, and e-trust. Lastly, Anninou and Foxall [23] found that a customer's level of pleasure positively determined the approach behavior of grocery and technology retail experiences. Further, customers' avoidance behaviors were negatively determined by high levels of pleasure and arousal (survey, n = 260, UK).…”

“…Applying Reimer and Kuehn's [62] Servicescape to measure social CX, Roy et al [51] found that social CX impacted a customer's commitment and engagement. Lastly, Anninou and Foxall [23] used PAD to measure social CX (for thematic reasons, these findings are presented in section Affective CX and its Outcomes under PAD).…”

Consumer confusion: a systematic review and research directions

“…The consumer confusion area is still very underdeveloped in terms of testing established theories or modifying existing ones using confusion as a construct. It is only the very recent literature, where scholars have begun to understand this gap and conceptualised confusion frameworks using existing theories such as the appraisal theories of emotions and the behavioural perspective framework (Anninou, 2018;Anninou and Foxall, 2019). Similarly, theories from allied areas of psychology, emotions and decision-making can be used to theorise consumer confusion by researchers ahead.…”