Revealing obstacles to the consumer imagination

The research proposes that the consumer imagination combines information about a current sensory stimulus (product) with triggered episodic memories to use as inputs in making product evaluations. Two studies reveal that the consumer imagination can be suppressed when preferred haptic sensory information is missing and when a situation is unambiguous, reducing the need for relying on episodic memory. The research findings support the general notion that the consumer imagination enhances purchase intentions compared to considering product attributes because the imagination enables consumers to integrate the information in a more efficient way. In both studies, perceived ownership mediates the effect. Contributions to theory and practical implications are provided.     

Need for touch and information processing strategies: An empirical examination

Drawing from literatures on haptic modality and information processing, direct measures of information processing strategy are developed and applied to investigate whether touch search is a form of analytical processing. Applying two distinct approaches in the two studies, evidence of the processing style of those high in need for touch, compared with those low in need for touch, is gathered and tested in an online context where touch is not available. Cumulatively, the findings indicate that high‐need‐for‐touch consumers follow an analytical, feature‐by‐feature processing strategy, whereas those low in need for touch rely more on a relational processing strategy. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Academic Dishonesty at Universities: The Case of Plagiarism Among Iranian Language Students

This study investigated Iranian language students’ perception of and familiarity with plagiarism, their attitudes toward their professors regarding this issue, and their reasons for doing so. The participants were 122 undergraduate and graduate language students in Translation, Literature, TEFL, and Linguistics who filled out a validated and piloted questionnaire. Overall, the results indicated that students had different views about the definition of plagiarism and plagiarism was mostly perceived by students as using someone else’s words as if they were their own rather than taking someone’s ideas without permission. It was also found that in their academic career, students mostly consider copying a completed assignment of their friend as an act of academic dishonesty. In addition, they mostly argued that professors at universities guess about who might have done plagiarism instead of checking it themselves and they used different strategies to detect plagiarism. The study also indicated that Iranian students had different reasons for plagiarism but they mostly plagiarize because of easiness of plagiarism. Finally, the results of the survey showed that the majority learned about plagiarism from their university professors.     

Seeking consistency between planning orientation and situational purchase mindset

The research applies consistency theory to investigate how planning orientation, planner, or reactor combines with situational purchase mindsets. The results of three studies reveal that (i) consistency between planning orientation and situational mindset fosters more action responses in terms of number of stores one intends to visit or actually visited; (ii) when inconsistency is experienced, action responses are fewer because the consumer seeks to resolve inconsistencies by consulting others to help build consensus toward one emerging purchase decision alternative; (iii) the findings depend upon whether the purchase context is hedonic or utilitarian for the planner but not for the reactor; and (iv) the impulsive scenario reverses the predictions of consistency theory. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consumer financial planning in the post-Covid-19 era: The role of emotional and economic vulnerability

The present research examines the relationship between emotional vulnerability, economic vulnerability, and intentions to improve financial planning for American households in the post-Covid-19 era. Using a survey of 504 household financial decision markers, we show that the effects of psychological fears and concerns experienced during the pandemic (i.e., emotional vulnerability) on post-pandemic household financial planning intentions are mediated by their perceived economic vulnerability. Specifically, for those who experience higher levels of emotional vulnerability, economic vulnerabilities are perceived to be harsher, further motivating them to raise their financial preparedness. Moreover, we identify an individual factor, personality trait of conscientiousness, as a boundary condition affecting this relationship. Specifically, individuals who are more conscientious tend to be more willing to learn from harsh pandemic experiences and are more willing to adapt in the long run.