The Concept of Hope and its Relevance to Product Evaluation and Choice

This conceptual article uses an appraisal theory perspective to define the construct of hope and describe its relevance to consumer behavior, marketing, and public policy in the domains of product evaluation and choice. Using the appraisal dimensions of hope, the authors identify a set of marketing tactics that are designed to stimulate hope. They posit that hope plays a moderating role in the relationship between well-known antecedent variables (e.g., involvement, expectations) on the one hand and evaluative judgments (e.g., attitudes, satisfaction) and consumer choices on the other hand. The authors advance specific propositions that describe the effects. Furthermore, they argue that the effects have implications for marketing and public policy. The article concludes with a call for additional research relevant to the study of hope.