Poster Presentation 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How I Wonder What You Are? Effect Of Awe On Purchase Intention. (#548)

Sumit Choudhary 1 , Yogita Yadav 1 , Raina Chhajer 1
  1. Indian Institute of Management, Indore, Indore, MP, India

Background: Emotions play a significant role in consumer purchase decisions. Various studies have examined the role of positive emotions in influencing consumer’s buying behavior. Drawing on the broaden and build theory of positive emotions, this study attempts to discover the impact of ‘awe’ on consumers ‘purchase intention’. Method: Using a randomized control design, the experiment was set-up in the context of young consumers. The study participants were presented with a travel product ‘sleeping-bag’ along with relevant product information including the price. The positive emotion of awe was induced in the experimental group (n=70) using a short video clip while the control group (n=67) watched a neutral video clip of the same duration. This was followed by surveys of awe and purchase intention. Results: We found a significant difference between the experimental and control group (p > 0.001). Another finding from the study indicating a significant relationship between awe and purchase intention where 14% variance was found to be explained by awe. Conclusion: This study provides initial support that the positive emotion of ‘awe’ tends to exert its effect on consumer’s purchase intention.