Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Thereafter, the chapter advances an integrated conceptual model linking determinants and
consequences of tourist emotional responses. Finally, the chapter discusses implications for
marketing practices and highlights directions for future research.
Role of emotion in consumer and tourism research
A rich body of research establishes emotion's relevance in marketing. Emotions are defi ned as
states characterised by episodes of intense feelings associated with a specifi c referent and instigate
specifi c response behaviours (Cohen and Areni 1991). Emotions play an important function in
defi ning consumption experiences and infl uencing consumer reactions. Early studies mainly
focus on consumers' emotional responses to advertising (e.g. Aaker, Stayman and Hagerty 1986;
Edell and Burke 1987). Other research examines emotions generated by specifi c product use (e.g.
Holbrook, Chesnut, Oliva and Greenleaf 1984), services (e.g. Liljander and Strandvik 1997), or in
general consumption situations (e.g. Derbaix and Pham 1991). Scholars also investigate the impact
of consumption emotions on global evaluative measures such as satisfaction (Ladhari 2007a) and
behavioural intentions (Zeelenberg and Pieters 2004). Some studies demonstrate the appropriate-
ness of emotions as a segmentation variable (e.g. Westbrook and Oliver 1991; Oliver and Westbrook
1993; Maute and Dubé 1999; Schoefer and Diamantopoulos 2009). For example, Westbrook and
Oliver (1991) identify fi ve patterns of emotional response to product experiences - happy/
content, pleasant (positive) surprise, unemotional, unpleasant (negative) surprise and angry/upset.
Schoefer and Diamantopoulos (2009) uncover four distinct emotional response styles during
service recovery encounters - negatives, positives, concerned and unemotionals. Each cluster
systematically corresponds to different perceptions of satisfaction, trust and commitment.
Similarly, in recent years, the role of emotion in tourism research has received unprecedented
recognition (Gnoth 1997; Goossens 2000). For example, previous studies show emotions affect
tourists' satisfaction (e.g. del Bosque and San Martin 2008) and behavioural intentions (e.g.
Bigne, Andreu and Gnoth 2005). Emotions also infl uence decisions to purchase tourism
and leisure services (Goossens 2000; Kwortnik and Ross 2007). For example Goossens (2000)
shows that emotion affects tourist destination choice. Kwortnik and Ross (2007) note that
tourists experience a variety of positive emotions, such as comfort and pleasure, as they plan
their vacation. In addition, Bigné and Andreu (2004) demonstrate emotion's suitability as a
segmentation variable for tourism and leisure services. Bigné and Andreu's (2004) fi ndings bifur-
cate tourists into less versus greater emotion segments. Tourists with greater positive emotions
display favourable behavioural intentions (loyalty and willingness to pay more).
Measurement of tourists' emotional responses
The psychology literature offers two main approaches to describe and categorize emotions:
dimensional and categorical. The fi rst approach conceptualizes emotions using few dimensions
such as positive and negative (Watson
et al
. 1988), or pleasantness and arousal (Russell 1980). The
dimensional approach does not require distinguishing between distinct negative (e.g. anger,
fear or sadness) and positive (e.g. contentment, happiness or excitement) emotions (Rucker and
Petty 2004). The second approach conceptualises emotion as a set of idiosyncratic affective states
(e.g. joy, anger, sadness, surprise). Research shows that discrete emotions of the same valence (e.g.
regret and disappointment) independently affect satisfaction (Machleit and Eroglu 2000),
judgement (Lerner and Keltner 2000) and behaviour (Zeelenberg and Pieters 2004).
Research in marketing measures emotions via two broad methods: self-report (verbal
measures) and psychophysiological indices (non-verbal measures). In consumer studies,
