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Anticipation of injurious consumption outcomes and its impact on consumer attributions of blame

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Abstract

The role of expectations in consumer evaluation of outcomes is widely applied in the study of consumers’ postpurchase evaluations. However, the evaluative consequence of relatively unexpected outcomes has received little attention. This study discusses the importance of infrequently occurring negative outcomes in consumer evaluations and then tests the role of their foreseeability in an attributional model. Results suggest that the extent to which a consumer anticipates negative product use outcomes plays an important role in mediating attributions for that outcome to the marketer. Specifically, the model results address determinants of consumer attributions of blame for negative consumption outcomes. Factors such as promoting safety, using warning labels, and providing service as well as consumer risk aversion, product experience, and perceived product danger influence blame both directly and indirectly through the extent to which an unlikely negative outcome is anticipated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Louisiana State University, USA

    Mitch Griffin Ph.D. (associate professor of marketing), Barry J. Babin Ph.D. (associate professor of marketing) & Jill S. Attaway Ph.D. (associate professor of marketing)

  2. Bradley University, USA

    Mitch Griffin Ph.D. (associate professor of marketing)

  3. the University of Southern Mississippi, USA

    Barry J. Babin Ph.D. (associate professor of marketing)

  4. Illinois State University, USA

    Jill S. Attaway Ph.D. (associate professor of marketing)

Authors
  1. Mitch Griffin Ph.D.
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  2. Barry J. Babin Ph.D.
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  3. Jill S. Attaway Ph.D.
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Additional information

His expertise is in the area of product safety and consumer reactions to negative information. His research has appeared in theJournal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Advances in Consumer Research, and numerous other national and regional publications.

His expertise is in the area of consumers’ affective reactions and research methodology. His work has appeared in theJournal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Business Research, Advances in Consumer Research, and numerous other professional outlets.

Her academic interests are focused on consumer behavior and retailing, and she has been recognized with both college and university teaching awards in these areas. Her research has appeared in theJournal of Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Advances in Consumer Research, The Cutting Edge, and numerous other national and regional publications.

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Griffin, M., Babin, B.J. & Attaway, J.S. Anticipation of injurious consumption outcomes and its impact on consumer attributions of blame. JAMS 24, 314–327 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070396244003

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