The impact of individual differences in the holistic-analytic thinking style and product incongruences on word of mouth / El efecto de las diferencias individuales en el estilo de pensamiento holístico-analítico y las incongruencias del producto en el boca a boca

Abstract

Individuals are regularly exposed to incongruences in their product or brand encounters (e.g., Moschino Cheap and Chic or Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle). This research examines how individuals’ reactions towards such incongruences may differ based on their inherent thinking styles. Across two studies, we demonstrated that holistic (vs. analytic) thinkers exhibited greater willingness to engage in positive word of mouth for products with incongruent (vs. congruent) elements. Prior research mainly explored the effect of thinking styles on individuals’ evaluations of incongruent information comprised of both positive and negative characteristics. This research shows that even similarly positive but conceptually incongruent characteristics may cause different reactions based on individuals’ thinking styles.