Current Search: He, Xin (x)
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Title
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TWO ESSAYS ON SCREENING STRATEGIES.
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Creator
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Ganesh Pillai, Rajani, Xin He, Raj Echambadi, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Consumers form consideration sets by screening from all available alternatives. Consumers typically utilize one of two types of screening strategies: an exclusion screening strategy wherein alternatives not worthy of further consideration are rejected or an inclusion strategy wherein worthy alternatives are selected for further evaluation. Extant literature has documented the important role played by screening strategies in decision making. However, there is very limited understanding of when...
Show moreConsumers form consideration sets by screening from all available alternatives. Consumers typically utilize one of two types of screening strategies: an exclusion screening strategy wherein alternatives not worthy of further consideration are rejected or an inclusion strategy wherein worthy alternatives are selected for further evaluation. Extant literature has documented the important role played by screening strategies in decision making. However, there is very limited understanding of when and why consumers may employ one screening strategy over the other as well the impact of the screening strategy for decision accuracy. This dissertation attempts to study the antecedent and consequence of screening strategies. Essay 1 in this dissertation, investigates the role of consumers' perceived uncertainty on the choice of screening strategy. Four studies in this essay show that when consumers are highly uncertain they are more likely to choose exclusion screening strategy; whereas when they are less uncertain they are more likely to use inclusion screening. Mediation analyses in Studies 1 and 2 show that the choice of screening strategy is primarily driven by perceived accuracy of the strategy. Study 3 demonstrates that the effect of uncertainty on the choice of screening strategy is moderated by consideration set size. When uncertain consumers form smaller sets they are more likely to use exclusion screening, but this relationship flips when they form larger consideration sets. Finally, external validity for the relationship between uncertainty and choice of screening strategy is demonstrated in Study 4 using the popular TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Essay two in this dissertation, investigates the role of perceived uncertainty and consideration set size on the relationship between screening strategy and objective accuracy of the decision. Utilizing an experimental study with an actual choice task, I demonstrate that perceived uncertainty moderates the screening strategy-decision accuracy relationship. Further, this interactive relationship is contingent on consideration set sizes. Whereas consumers with high perceived uncertainty make higher quality decisions with inclusion while forming smaller consideration sets, their decision quality is higher with exclusion when forming larger sets. Likewise, while consumers with low perceived uncertainty make more accurate decisions with exclusion when forming smaller sets, the accuracy of their decisions increases with inclusion when forming larger sets. This dissertation contributes to literature on screening strategies by explicating perceived uncertainty as a critical factor that leads to consumers preferring one screening strategy versus the other. Furthermore, it adds to our understanding of an important consequence of using screening strategies decision accuracy.
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Date Issued
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2009
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Identifier
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CFE0002927, ucf:48001
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002927
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Title
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ESSAYS ON CONSUMER CHARITY.
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Creator
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Paniculangara, Joseph, He, Xin, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Two essays comprise this doctoral dissertation on consumers and their charitable donations. The overall objective is to investigate the role of psychological distance in charitable donations, with each essay dealing with a different moderator of this relationship. In the first essay, I study the interactive effect of social distance and processing mode (affect vs. cognition). Specifically, people tend to donate more if they use their emotions rather than cognition as diagnostic inputs for...
Show moreTwo essays comprise this doctoral dissertation on consumers and their charitable donations. The overall objective is to investigate the role of psychological distance in charitable donations, with each essay dealing with a different moderator of this relationship. In the first essay, I study the interactive effect of social distance and processing mode (affect vs. cognition). Specifically, people tend to donate more if they use their emotions rather than cognition as diagnostic inputs for decision making, especially when donor and recipient are separated by greater social distance. This may be because affect-driven and cognition-driven donors are influenced by different goals. Affect-driven donors are mainly motivated by a consummatory goal of increasing their "warm glow" utility whereas cognition-driven donors are mainly motivated by an instrumental goal of increasing "public goods" utility (i.e., making a contribution that may benefit the donor as well). While both consummatory and instrumental goals are relevant at closer social distance, only the consummatory goal is at work at greater social distance, which leads to a social distance by processing mode interaction. The hypothesized effect is tested in a series of three experiments that use different contexts and dependent measures (e.g., donation of money vs. time). In the second essay, I turn to the joint effect of psychological distance and dispositional empathy on charitable donation. Empathy or "Einf[umlaut]hlung" is defined as feeling one's way into the situation of another. While the literature suggests that empathy generally increases various forms of prosocial behavior including donations, I argue that this effect is contingent upon the psychological distance between donor and recipient. The role of empathy is especially pronounced when the recipient is perceived to be psychologically closer to the donor. This is because closer psychological distance leads to greater identification by the donor with the recipient, which in turn leads to greater donation. I demonstrated support for the hypothesized interaction between dispositional empathy and psychological distance in three experiments, each addressing a different type of psychological distance. I conclude this dissertation with a discussion of the theoretical contribution and managerial importance of the findings. Managers of not-for-profits are confronted with a multitude of challenges in increasing donations while optimizing their resources. By pointing out the processes that underlie individual donors' decisions on charitable donations, this dissertation addresses a long-felt but rarely addressed lacuna in the literature.
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Date Issued
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2011
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Identifier
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CFE0004041, ucf:49163
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004041
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Title
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Consumer Tradeoffs in Material and Experiential Purchases.
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Creator
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Urumutta Hewage, Ganga, He, Xin, Rugar, Yael Zemack -, Wang, Ze, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Material and experiential purchases have gained much attention in psychology and consumer behavior alike (Carter and Gilovich 2010; Nicolao, Irwin, and Goodman 2009; Rosenzweig and Gilovich 2012; Tully, Hershfield, and Meyvis 2015). In three essays, I examine the theoretical and practical implications of consumer tradeoffs in this domain. In the first essay, I explore how regulatory focus influences the tradeoffs between material and experiential purchases. Results of five laboratory studies...
Show moreMaterial and experiential purchases have gained much attention in psychology and consumer behavior alike (Carter and Gilovich 2010; Nicolao, Irwin, and Goodman 2009; Rosenzweig and Gilovich 2012; Tully, Hershfield, and Meyvis 2015). In three essays, I examine the theoretical and practical implications of consumer tradeoffs in this domain. In the first essay, I explore how regulatory focus influences the tradeoffs between material and experiential purchases. Results of five laboratory studies and two field studies (using Instagram and Google Trends data) suggest that, as the regulatory focus shifts from prevention to promotion, there is a higher likelihood of choosing experiential purchases and such an effect is driven by focus of attention. The second essay examines how self-construal may shape material-experiential tradeoffs. Results show that independent self-view develops a higher preference towards experiential purchases than interdependent self-view(-)an effect driven by individual's uniqueness consideration. I demonstrate this effect across seven experimental studies and a field study (using United Nations data). I also show that type of decision moderates the results. The third essay investigates how purchase type influences consumers' preference for mystery options. Five lab studies and a field study (using Groupon data) provide evidence that, when making experiential purchases consumers favor mystery options than when making material purchases. Such an effect is driven by the need for excitement. Additionally, moderated by priming of excitement and target of the decision (self vs. other). Together, these three essays contribute to a better understanding of tradeoffs in these two types of purchases. My findings add to the work on regulatory focus, self-construal, and consumer judgements and decision making. I also offer managerial insights to develop effective marketing strategy.
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Date Issued
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2019
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Identifier
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CFE0007547, ucf:52605
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007547
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Title
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The Effect of Food Labeling and Environmental Cues on Food Consumption Judgments and Choices.
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Creator
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Lefebvre, Sarah, He, Xin, Tafaghodijami, Ata, Rugar, Yael Zemack -, Mao, Huifang, Biswas, Dipayan, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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As obesity levels reach epidemic levels globally, an understanding of the multitude of factors that influence both eating behavior and food choice is necessary. This dissertation attempts to investigate the role of emerging food categories, namely organic foods, and the influence of environmental cues on eating behaviors and choices. This goal is accomplished through three essays. The first essay focuses on the organic food trend and consumer taste expectations. Specifically, this essay...
Show moreAs obesity levels reach epidemic levels globally, an understanding of the multitude of factors that influence both eating behavior and food choice is necessary. This dissertation attempts to investigate the role of emerging food categories, namely organic foods, and the influence of environmental cues on eating behaviors and choices. This goal is accomplished through three essays. The first essay focuses on the organic food trend and consumer taste expectations. Specifically, this essay explores how the presence of an organic label influences taste expectations differently for minimally processed versus highly processed foods due to the level of consistency (congruency) between the food item and formed organic associations. Moving the focus on food consumption to environmental cues, the second essay of this dissertation investigates how the temperature dimension of ambient scent (i.e., cool or warm) influences food choice and the number of calories consumed. This essay, drawing on literature from physiology and the limited research on the temperature dimension of scent, shows that the temperature dimension of scent generates behaviors that mimic the body's physiological responses to ambient temperature. Lastly, the third essay explores the relationship between organic foods and the discrete emotion of nostalgia. This essay examines how proneness to nostalgia and nostalgia evoked by advertising results in a preference for organic food products. This essay proposes that nostalgia evokes a desire for simplicity that is represented through the traditional production methods used by organic products; this leads to a preference for organic products. In sum, these three essays advance the knowledge on factors that influence food consumption behavior and choice, adding to the theoretical understanding of emerging food trends, labeling, and environmental cues, while providing implications for marketing strategy and consumer well-being.
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Date Issued
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2017
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Identifier
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CFE0006615, ucf:51301
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006615
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Title
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The Effects of Facial Cues on Consumer Judgment and Decision-Making.
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Creator
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Liu, Fan, He, Xin, Wang, Ze, Mao, Huifang, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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This dissertation investigates the roles of facial cues in consumer behavior. Specifically, the research examines the effect of facial structural resemblance, facial expressions, and other perceptual cues(-)in both individual and group settings(-)on consumer judgment and decision-making. Essay 1 examines the influence of facial resemblance on consumers' product purchase likelihood. This effect is moderated by consumers' mental construal, such that the effect of increased facial resemblance on...
Show moreThis dissertation investigates the roles of facial cues in consumer behavior. Specifically, the research examines the effect of facial structural resemblance, facial expressions, and other perceptual cues(-)in both individual and group settings(-)on consumer judgment and decision-making. Essay 1 examines the influence of facial resemblance on consumers' product purchase likelihood. This effect is moderated by consumers' mental construal, such that the effect of increased facial resemblance on product purchase likelihood occurs among consumers with high-level construals but not among those with low-level construals. Results of three experimental studies show that increased facial resemblance among team members enhances the perceived entitativity of the group, which in turn leads to more favorable intention of purchasing the product offered by the group. Essay 2 investigates the differential effects of recipients' group entitativity on two types of donation (time vs. money). Through three studies, the research demonstrates that high (versus low) group entitativity among the recipients increases donation of time but decreases donation of money. Such differential effects on donation of time versus money are driven by consumers' emotional or cognitive well-being associated with time or money donations. In essay 3, the effect of smile intensity on customer behavior is shown to be moderated by power and salience of ulterior motive. When employees' ulterior motive is not salient to customers, low-power customers evaluate the employee with intensified smiles more favorably compared to high-power customers. In contrast, when ulterior motive is made salient, high-power rather than low-power customers react more positively to smile intensity. Results show that the interactive effects between smile, power, and ulterior motive are driven by customers' warmth and competence perceptions. Collectively, this dissertation focuses on consumers' face-based judgments of individuals and teams, and investigates how such facial cues might influence consumers' attitude, purchase intention, and prosocial behavior.
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Date Issued
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2015
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Identifier
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CFE0005828, ucf:50930
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005828
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Title
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Power Effects on Consumer Well-Being: Two Essays on The Power Effects on Donation and Material/Experiential Consumption.
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Creator
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Liu, Yue, He, Xin, Tafaghodijami, Ata, Massiah, Carolyn, Yang, Xiaojing, Mao, Huifang, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Power is a fundamental concept in social science (Russell 1938), which has gained much academic attention in various disciplines. Two essays of this dissertation examine the theoretical and practical implications of power effects on donation decisions and material/experiential consumption.The first essay demonstrates power's moderating effect on the relationship between publicity and donation. Specifically, it is proposed that powerful people tend to donate more in public (vs. private)...
Show morePower is a fundamental concept in social science (Russell 1938), which has gained much academic attention in various disciplines. Two essays of this dissertation examine the theoretical and practical implications of power effects on donation decisions and material/experiential consumption.The first essay demonstrates power's moderating effect on the relationship between publicity and donation. Specifically, it is proposed that powerful people tend to donate more in public (vs. private) situation, whereas powerless people do not show such a difference. This effect is driven by people's concern about self-presentation in a donation scenario. Additionally, this effect only holds when people strongly believe that high donation enhances others' positive impression of them, but dilutes when such belief is not held. The theorizing is supported across four studies.The second essay focuses on how power influences consumers' preferences for material and experiential products. It is predicted that those who feel powerless tend to spend more of their discretionary money on material products than experiential products. This effect occurs through feelings of resourcefulness caused by possessing material or experiential goods. In addition, this effect is further moderated by implicit theory, such that the impact of power on material versus experience product choice persists for incremental theorists but dissipates for entity theorists. Three experiments provide support to this proposition.Overall, by investigating how power influences people's donation behavior and choice of material/experiential products, this dissertation strengthens the understanding of power's effectson consumer behavior and provides practical implications on how power status can influence consumers' well-being.
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Date Issued
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2017
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Identifier
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CFE0006894, ucf:51710
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006894
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Title
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Consumer Engagement in Travel-related Social Media.
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Creator
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Li, Xu, Wang, Youcheng, Robinson, Edward, Kwun, David, Nusair, Khaldoon, He, Xin, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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The term of (")consumer engagement(") is extensively used in the digital era. It is believed that engaged consumers play an important role in products/services referral and recommendation, new product/service development and experience/value co-creation. Although the notion of consumer engagement sounds compelling, it is not fully developed in theory. Different interpretations coexist, resulting in confusion and misuse of the concept. This study attempts to define consumer engagement and...
Show moreThe term of (")consumer engagement(") is extensively used in the digital era. It is believed that engaged consumers play an important role in products/services referral and recommendation, new product/service development and experience/value co-creation. Although the notion of consumer engagement sounds compelling, it is not fully developed in theory. Different interpretations coexist, resulting in confusion and misuse of the concept. This study attempts to define consumer engagement and develop a conceptual framework of consumer engagement, addressing antecedents of consumer engagement in online context. Moreover, some situational and social media usage-related factors are incorporated into the framework. A set of propositions are presented based on literature review and the conceptual framework to illustrate the relationship between consumer engagement and related factors. To provide empirical evidence for the conceptual model, an online survey is conducted. Participants complete the self-administered survey by answering questions concerning their online experience with the travel-related social media website they visit most. Two-step structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the data. The results show that both community experience and community identification have significant and positive relationship with consumer engagement. Community experience is also a strong predictor of community identification. Attitude toward using social media and travel involvement influence the relationship between consumer engagement and its antecedents.With focus on the interactive and experiential nature of consumer engagement, this study expands current understanding of consumer engagement and provides insights for hospitality and tourism businesses regarding how to engage consumers through travel-related social media.
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Date Issued
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2013
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Identifier
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CFE0004878, ucf:49657
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004878
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Title
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Peering Into The Future: Three Essays on the Nascent Phenomenon of Collaborative Consumption.
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Creator
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Dellegrazie-Perren, Rebeca, Massiah, Carolyn, He, Xin, Tafaghodijami, Ata, Grauerholz, Liz, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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The primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the theoretical and practical implications of the collaborative consumption phenomenon for individuals, businesses and society. To accomplish this goal, a research approach at three levels of analysis is used to explore how market institutions and consumer practices negotiate a social order that combines the social domain of peers with the economic domain of market exchange. The first essay of the dissertation approaches this objective...
Show moreThe primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the theoretical and practical implications of the collaborative consumption phenomenon for individuals, businesses and society. To accomplish this goal, a research approach at three levels of analysis is used to explore how market institutions and consumer practices negotiate a social order that combines the social domain of peers with the economic domain of market exchange. The first essay of the dissertation approaches this objective from a macro level to examine how social order is produced and sustained through the systemic interactions of service firms and peers. This essay provides a framework to understand the emergent business models by developing a typological theory that explains how platforms can be configured for higher value creation. The second essay approaches our understanding of the phenomenon from a meso level analysis to examine how peers interact with the social order of collaborative consumption markets to negotiate key existential tensions between consumer resistance and market appropriation. This essay explores the metaphors that peers use to construe the field of collaborative consumption. Through the interpretive analysis of participant-generated images, this research uncovers the prevailing use of a liberation metaphor that reveals a new way of thinking about resource circulation. Lastly, the third essay employs a micro level of analysis to examine how participation in collaborative consumption practices provokes intrapersonal dynamics leading to moral decay. By relying on a social cognitive framework that considers how behaviors impact personal and environmental factors in a recursive fashion, this essay scrutinizes when and how prolonged participation can erode moral identity and negatively impact prosocial behaviors. Together, this holistic approach advances our theoretical understanding of the collaborative consumption phenomenon and provides practical implications for managerial practice and public policy.
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Date Issued
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2015
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Identifier
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CFE0005783, ucf:50055
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005783