10分Paper

這項研究探討了人們對美的看法，特別是關於美是否可以改變的信念，如何影響其冒險行為。 研究人員發現，認為美是可塑且可以透過努力改善的人（稱為「成長型心態」）比認為美是固定不變的人（稱為「實體型心態」）更傾向於承擔風險。 這種關聯似乎是由於對生活中能獲得積極結果感到更加樂觀所致。 實驗結果顯示，這種對美的信念所產生的影響，甚至可以擴展到與美無直接相關的領域。

Abstract
Beauty has pervasive implications for success in various domains of life. Given this broad and visible nature, whether and how a belief in the improvability of this important human attribute influences judgment and decision-making is largely unknown. We found that beauty implicit theories can produce strong cross-domain impact on risk-taking behavior. Using both hypothetical choices and real behaviors in one cross-country survey and nine experiments, including three supplementary studies (N = 4,015), we found that (a) incremental theorists, who believed that beauty is malleable and improvable, took greater risks than entity theorists, who believed that beauty is fixed, and (b) an incremental belief of beauty heightens a sense of optimism that one will achieve positive outcomes in various domains of life, which consequently promotes risk-seeking behavior. These findings demonstrate that domain-specific implicit theory (i.e. beauty in our case) can affect behavior beyond that domain (non-beauty related risk-taking).

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此篇學術文章探討了「自訂」對食物選擇的影響，特別是在提供自訂選項且不額外收費的食品產業中。透過一項披薩店的田野研究與兩項對照實驗，研究人員發現，提供自訂選項的菜單能讓顧客在選擇高熱量食物時做出更健康的決定。研究表明，這種效果是透過增強消費者的自主感來實現的。然而，當面對健康食物時，自訂選項對健康選擇的影響會減弱。這些發現挑戰了企業認為消費者會選擇越多越好的觀念，並指出在某些情境下，「自訂」對企業和消費者而言可能是一種雙贏策略，既能降低食材成本，又能促進更健康的飲食習慣。

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This study examines the impact of multicultural representations in brand marketing activities on consumer perceptions. The findings suggest that when a brand primarily targets non-marginalized consumers, implementing multicultural marketing initiatives is likely to be well received. In contrast, if a brand primarily targets marginalized consumers, adopting multicultural marketing strategies may be perceived as "betrayal," leading to negative consequences.
Through six experiments focusing on both Black and White consumers, this study explores the underlying mechanisms of this "betrayal effect" and potential mitigation strategies. The results underscore the importance of multicultural marketing and the necessity of understanding marginalized consumers and brand marginalization. Furthermore, the study calls for greater attention to racial and ethnic dynamics in marketing research.
By considering the historical context of target markets, scholars and marketers can more accurately anticipate the effects of strategic and tactical changes.

Uduehi, E., Saint Clair, J. K., Hamilton, M., & Reed, A. (2025). When Diversity Backfires: The Asymmetric Role of Multicultural Diversity on Brand Perception. Journal of Consumer Research.

This study examines the impact of exterior transparency in retail environments on consumer store entry rates. The findings indicate that higher transparency enhances consumers' visibility of in-store information, thereby increasing their willingness to enter. Conversely, stores with lower transparency can attract customers by providing additional information through alternative means, such as store layout maps. Furthermore, brand familiarity plays a crucial role in improving entry rates for both high- and low-transparency stores. The research employs multiple experiments using virtual reality, images, and various store types to validate these hypotheses, offering practical insights for retail design.

SAMPLE, K. L., SEVILLA, J., & HAWS, K. L. (2025). Clear views, clear gains: Exterior transparency's role in increasing consumer entry for retail environments. Journal of Retailing.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022435925000053

This study examines how professionals’ public disclosure of leisure activities influences consumer choices. The findings suggest that publicly sharing leisure activities associated with eudaimonic well-being (e.g., hiking, cooking) enhances consumers' perception of the professionals’ competence, thereby increasing their willingness to choose, hire, or support these professionals. However, this effect is moderated by other indicators of competence (e.g., awards) and the extent to which consumers are productivity-oriented. The study tests these hypotheses through online and laboratory experiments, exploring the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions.

Which Type of Mass Layoff Triggers Greater Consumer Negative Reactions?
I first encountered this paper when I attended the AMA CBSIG conference in Vienna last June, where the author presented their findings. At the time, I found it to be one of the most interesting papers in the entire conference and believed it had a strong potential for publication in a top-tier journal—which indeed turned out to be the case.

Mass layoffs can be triggered by various factors, often associated with a company’s pursuit of greater efficiency and cost reduction. Such decisions frequently provoke negative public reactions. From a marketing perspective, however, a key question arises: when layoffs occur, does offshoring—relocating production to another country—lead to different consumer reactions compared to other reasons for layoffs?

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Is Physical Attractiveness an Advantage or Disadvantage for Female Entrepreneurs?

In most cases, physical attractiveness is generally perceived as a positive attribute. Previous research in both judicial case studies and consumer behavior has demonstrated the existence of a "beauty premium," where attractive individuals receive certain advantages. However, in the entrepreneurial field, does beauty serve as an asset or a liability?
A recent study published in the Journal of Management by a team of Swiss researchers explores this question from cognitive and physiological perspectives. Contrary to expectations, the findings reveal that male investors perceive more attractive female entrepreneurs as having higher professional competence and are more likely to grant them access to the investment selection process. Additionally, from a hormonal response perspective, cortisol levels amplify the effect of physical attractiveness on investment decisions.

Reference:
Schreiber, R., Hess, M., Grichnik, D., Shepherd, D. A., Tobler, P. N., & Wincent, J. (2024). An Attractiveness Bias? How Women Entrepreneurs’ Physical Appearance Affects Men Investors. Journal of Management.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01492063241249699

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這篇文章探討父母對子女教育產品的購買偏好，如何受到其對社會流動性的感知所影響。研究發現，認為社會流動性高的父母較重視提升子女優勢，而認為社會流動性低的父母則傾向於彌補子女弱點。 此偏好受到父母的地位目標設定所調節，並受到能力與地位相關性以及成功人士典範的影響。研究結果有助於行銷公司設計產品和行銷策略，以及政策制定者改善教育成果。這個效果會在子女的教育與「社會地位」有關時存在，即便是藝術文化類的教育也是如此。但是如果父母覺得專更可能在社會上成功，那不管什麼流動性知覺，都會更加喜愛「強化優點」的教育；反之，如果父母認為通才更可能成功，那麼「彌補弱點」會變成大家的共識。

This article explores how parents' preferences for purchasing educational products for their children are influenced by their perceptions of social mobility. The study reveals that parents who perceive high social mobility place greater emphasis on enhancing their children's advantages, while those who perceive low social mobility tend to focus on compensating for their children's weaknesses. These preferences are moderated by the parents' status goal-setting and are influenced by the perceived correlation between ability and status, as well as the exemplars of successful individuals. The findings provide valuable insights for marketing companies in designing products and strategies, as well as for policymakers aiming to improve educational outcomes. This effect emerges when children's education is linked to "social status," even in the case of arts and cultural education. However, if parents believe that specialists are more likely to succeed in society, they will favor "enhancing strengths" in education, regardless of their perception of social mobility. Conversely, if parents perceive that generalists are more likely to succeed, "compensating weaknesses" will become the common preference.

Chen, Q., Wang, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Developing Strengths or Remedying Weaknesses? How Perceived Social Mobility Affects Parents’ Purchase Preferences for Children's Educational Products. Journal of Marketing, 88(5), 46–62.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/19485506241311347

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In our daily lives, it’s not uncommon to see people using volume to signal their social status. For instance, young people who modify their cars often amplify the sound to showcase their strength and dominance. Conversely, some prefer quiet products, believing that quietness better represents their status. For example, luxury sedans emphasize silence. So, which is more appealing: quiet and understated products or loud and roaring ones? This question is explored in a recent Journal of Marketing Research article by Michael L. Lowe's team, which specializes in studying the role of sound in marketing.

Theoretical Framework
Drawing on the Dominance-Prestige Account of Rank Allocation framework from psychology, there are two ways for individuals to achieve high status:

1. Dominance – Demonstrating control through physical strength.
2. Prestige – Gaining respect through expertise and skills.

The authors argue that these two pathways correspond to different signals, and consumers use product volume to convey these status signals. Individuals who value dominance are more likely to prefer louder products. This aligns with prior research showing that individuals who are physically larger, more dominant, or stronger tend to have louder voices. On the other hand, those who value prestige may use quieter products to signal their status. The authors support this claim by referencing previous literature, which found that inconspicuous logos and understated luxury products are tools for high-status individuals to distinguish themselves from non-expert consumers. Similarly, high-status individuals tend to control their speaking volume.

Hypotheses and Evidence
The core hypothesis is relatively simple, but the evidence they provide is fascinating.

1. Study 1: They analyzed character selection behaviors in an online game. Although the game was not disclosed, it appeared to be similar to League of Legends. They found that players who valued prestige (measured by accumulated skill points) were more likely to choose quieter characters in their next game, whereas players who valued dominance (measured by the number of opponents defeated) preferred louder characters. This behavior was replicated in a lab experiment.
2. Survey Evidence: Through an online survey, they examined the relationship between car ownership and two personal traits: prestige and dominance. The results supported their core hypothesis.
3. Study 3: Preferences for product design were explored. Participants who valued prestige were more likely to design drones to be quieter, while those who valued dominance preferred louder drones.
4. Study 4: The final study used conjoint analysis to examine whether preferences for quiet products depended on the presence of other status signals. They discovered that when consumers valuing prestige could not identify a product’s status from its appearance or logo, their preference for quiet products diminished.

Reflection
This article is exceptionally well-done. Although the number of studies is limited, each provides strong evidence for the core hypothesis through real behavioral data. It also explains many intriguing phenomena we observe in daily life.

Reference:
Lowe, M., Jo, W., Ward, M. K., & Vohs, K. D. (2025). The Sound of Status: Product Volume as a Status Signal of Dominance or Prestige. Journal of Marketing Research.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00222437251314368

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Recently, my spouse shared a story about a coworker in their office who had been experiencing persistent abdominal pain. Despite repeated advice from colleagues to seek a medical check-up, the individual didn’t take it seriously. Only after the pain became unbearable, accompanied by cold sweats, did they visit the hospital—where they were diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. For a long time, this coworker had avoided abdominal ultrasounds or colonoscopies. Yet, diseases like colon cancer can often be detected and prevented through early screenings. Similarly, modern illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia require regular testing.
But have you noticed that the older people get, the more resistant they seem to be toward health screenings? Ironically, for seniors, these screenings are even more critical. So why do older adults tend to avoid them? One plausible explanation is that the way we frame messages is ineffective.
Framing theory suggests that the same issue can be presented in either a positive or negative frame. A positive frame highlights the benefits of performing a certain behavior, while a negative frame emphasizes the potential risks of not doing it. Most health and disease screening messages rely on negative framing because previous research often found that it had stronger persuasive effects.
However, a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology by a team from Zhejiang University and Hong Kong challenges this notion. They found that for older adults, positive framing might be more effective.
They provide three key reasons to support this claim:

1. Cognitive Decline with Age
2. As people age, cognitive decline makes them more likely to engage in abstract and high-level (high construal) thinking. Research on framing theory shows that positive frames are typically processed at higher construal levels, making them more effective for seniors.
3. Awareness of Life’s Finiteness
4. Older adults are more conscious of the brevity of life and are more motivated to focus on the gains highlighted in positive messages. They also tend to avoid information that triggers negative emotions, which is why positive framing resonates better.
5. Novelty of Positive Frames
6. Over the years, older adults have been repeatedly exposed to negatively framed messages about health screenings, making them less impactful. Positive frames, being less common, stand out more and are therefore more persuasive.

In short, compared to younger consumers, older adults perceive positive framing as more diagnostic and are thus more likely to comply with disease-related screenings when exposed to such messages.
This is the first article authored by Yu-Ting Pang, though it appears the project was likely overseen by the second author, Li-Li Wang, and their long-time collaborator Fang-Yuan Chen from the University of Macau. I met Yu-Ting last year in Paris—an outstanding young scholar. She seemed a bit shy but demonstrated great research acumen. Wishing her all the best in her postdoctoral journey at Hong Kong Polytechnic University!
Reference:
Pang, Y., Wang, L., & Chen, F. (2024). Message framing to enhance consumer compliance with disease detection communication for prevention: The moderating role of age. Journal of Consumer Psychology.
https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcpy.1436

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