Abstract:

Social exclusion happens ubiquitously, which could result in inevitable negative consequences to human beings in both physiological domain and psychological domain. Although substantial studies have been conducted to understand the antecedents and behavioral consequences of social exclusion, little research attention has been given to the influence of social exclusion on consumer choice. The current research aims to investigate the impact of social exclusion experience on consumer preference for products with different textures. Building on the social exclusion theory and sensory marketing research, we propose that social exclusion (vs. social inclusion) will make people prefer soft products more. This effect will be mediated by negative psychological experience promoted by social exclusion, and this effect will be further moderated by desirability of belongingness. One pilot study and four main experiments were conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. Experiment 1 established the effect of social exclusion on consumer choice of soft versus hard product by using a 2 (social exclusion: exclusion vs. inclusion) by 2 (product texture: soft vs. hard) between-subjects design. Social exclusion was manipulated using a group rejection task, and participants indicated their purchase intention after touching the product stimulus. The results suggested that after experiencing social exclusion, the participants preferred soft tissue box more. Experiment 2 replicated the findings of experiment 1 in another product category and instructed the participants to touch the products by wearing an eye mask to eliminate visual cues. The purpose of Experiment 2 was to validate the robustness of the findings of experiment 1 and to examine the mediation effect of negative psychological experience by using a 2 (social exclusion: exclusion vs. inclusion) between-subjects design. Social exclusion was manipulated by a social network rejection task. The results indicated that the participants preferred soft product option in social exclusion condition compared with those in social inclusion condition, and this effect was mediated by negative psychological experience. In Experiment 3, we manipulated social exclusion in a marketing context. In order to further validate the robustness of our findings, tangible product stimuli were changed into pictures for participants to observe rather than touch. Experiment 4 investigated the moderating effect of desirability of belongingness through a 2 (social exclusion: exclusion vs. inclusion) by 2 (desirability of belongingness: desirable vs. undesirable) between-subjects design. Our findings showed that the influence of social exclusion on consumer preference for soft product option was replicated when belongingness was believed as desirable, and the effect was alleviated when belongingness was believed as undesirable. Mediation analysis confirmed the mediating role of negative psychological experience. The current research provides empirical evidence to the influence of social exclusion on consumer preference for products with different textures, and its underlying process. Our findings could shed new light on social exclusion literature by identifying a new behavioral consequence. In addition, our results advance knowledge about the link between social exclusion and haptic experience. Moreover, our findings would provide meaningful implications for product design and new product promotion.

Key words: social exclusion, consumer preference, product texture, negative psychological experience, desirability of belongingness