Understanding Consumer Evaluations of Mixed Affective Experiences

This research examines the influence of final trend, temporal proximity, and source similarity on consumers' overall retrospective evaluations of sequential mixed affective experiences comprised of positive, negative, and neutral affective responses. Findings from the first experiment indicate that when consumers make comparisons based on similarities among affective responses, evaluations tend to be influenced by final trend. In contrast, when consumers make comparisons based on differences, temporal proximity influences evaluations. A second experiment shows that novelty of the experience attenuates these effects. This research is discussed in view of research on sequential single as well as simultaneous mixed affective experiences. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..