Form versus Function: How the Intensities of Specific Emotions Evoked in Functional versus Hedonic Trade-Offs Mediate Product Preferences

Abstract

This article examines the emotional and behavioral consequences of making functional versus hedonic trade-offs. Building on the proposed correspondence between functionality and a prevention focus and between hedonics and a promotion focus, the authors predict that contexts involving functional versus hedonic trade-offs evoke a variety of both negative and positive emotions, including guilt/anxiety, sadness/ disappointment, cheerfulness/excitement, and confidence/security. These predictions are confirmed. Furthermore, an analysis of the intensities of these specific emotions reveals the following additional insights: (1) Under conditions in which the options in a choice set meet or exceed both functional and hedonic cutoffs, consumers attach greater importance to the hedonic attribute, and (2) whereas the functionally superior option is preferred in choice tasks, the hedonically superior one is preferred in willingness-to-pay tasks.