Comparing mood‐induction and affective conditioning as mechanisms influencing product evaluation and product choice

Abstract

Abstract Previous research has demonstrated that nonverbal, affective elements of ads have the capacity to influence the evaluation of the product in the ad, and product choice. Affective conditioning and mood induction have been presented as mechanisms responsible for this effect. In general, most researchers adopt only one of these two mechanisms in their studies. They often implicitly suggest that the two mechanisms are competing in the sense that only one mechanism is taken to be valid. In our study, the effect of a nonverbal affective stimulus, that is, music, on product evaluation and product choice was studied, using both mechanisms in two experiments with a comparable research format. The mood mechanism was studied by presenting music to subjects, thus inducing mood (cf. Alpert & Alpert, 1989; Batra & Stayman, 1990; Sullivan, 1990), followed by a slide presentation of a pen (the product). The affective conditioning mechanism was studied, using the same music and the same slides, presented in accordance with the affective conditioning paradigm. Results of the study indicate that both mechanisms may be operative in influencing the evaluation of the product, and product choice. It is further suggested that both mechanisms work differently. Mood induction is thought to create a short‐lasting association between a product and an affective stimulus. Thus, the mechanism of mood induction may be primarily important to retailers selling multiple products, for example, by playing background music in a retail store. In contrast, affective conditioning is thought to create a longerlasting integration between a product and an affective stimulus. Consequently, the mechanism of affective conditioning may be successfully employed by producers of a specific product (line). © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.