The facilitating role of negative emotion in decision making process: A hierarchy of effects model approach

The aim of this study is to explore and investigate the role of negative emotion as facilitator in consumer decision making process based on the hierarchy of effects model. Based on the hierarchy of effects model presented by Lavidge and Steiner, the researchers relied on questionnaire to gather data and implemented structural equation modeling. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that negative emotions significantly facilitate the decision making. The sequence of negative emotion facilitating the movement of consumer in HEM is shame, fear, anger and shame. The major limitation of our study is our measurement approach and, therefore, our research results may lack generalizability. Also the relatively small sample size and the demographic characteristics of respondents limit the generalizability of the findings. The information disclosed in this paper may help the marketing to have a better understanding of the role and importance of negative emotion as a facilitator in marketing communications. This research integrated the hierarchy of effects model and emotion to investigate the role of negative emotion in consumer behavior. Also it tried to evaluate the role of negative emotion in hierarchy of effects model as facilitating factor.