Affiliation:
1. Department of Marketing, School of Management Xiamen University Xiamen China
2. Department of Agribusiness and Food Industry Management Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture, California Polytechnic Pomona Pomona California USA
Abstract
AbstractConsumers make distinct food choices when they see versus when they think about a powerful person. This research identifies two scenarios involving the presence of a high‐powered other, physical presence versus mental presence, and examines the effect of the physical and mental presence of a high‐powered other on consumers' healthy food choices. Conducting six experiments, we show that the physical presence of a high‐powered other increases one's self‐enhancement motivation and leads to healthier food choices, while the mental presence of a high‐powered other increases one's perceived constraints and leads to unhealthy food choices. We also find that interpersonal closeness moderates the positive effect of the physical presence of a high‐powered other on healthy food choices but does not moderate the negative effect of the mental presence of a high‐powered other on healthy food choices.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province
Subject
Applied Psychology,Social Psychology