Author: Steve Tyler

Understanding Gen Z Consumers: A Typology of (Un)sustainable Purchases Summary This study applies neutralisation theory to explain the paradox between Gen Z’s pro-environmental attitudes and their often unsustainable purchasing behaviour. Using 25 semi-structured interviews, the authors identify six neutralisation techniques Gen Z uses to rationalise unsustainable purchases: four established techniques (denial of responsibility, condemning the […]

When Less Pressure Leads to More Talk: Sales Tactics and Word‐of‐Mouth Summary This paper reports five experiments across multiple retail contexts (clothing, travel, fitness, electronics) showing that salespeople who encourage customers to deliberate — rather than pressuring them to buy — trigger more positive word‑of‑mouth (WOM). The authors develop a psychological account: encourage‑to‑deliberate tactics increase […]

Colour Saturation and Perceived Sensory Intensity: An Account of Psychological Proximity Summary This article reports five experiments showing that higher colour saturation—whether applied to products or packaging—increases consumers’ anticipated intensity of non-visual sensory attributes (smell, taste, touch, sound and texture). The authors (Ketron, Labrecque, Sohn, Yazdanparast) demonstrate the effect across multiple product categories (soap, towels, […]

Experiential Engagement: A Scale for Experiential Contexts Summary This paper develops and validates a short, unidimensional six-item scale of “experiential engagement” designed to be generalisable across experiential contexts such as sport, music and the arts. The authors conducted a PRISMA-guided systematic review of 25 context-specific engagement scales, extracted 466 items and iteratively reduced and adapted […]

GenAI Use Behavior and Post‐Failure Perceptions Among People With Functional Disabilities: A Multimethod Study Summary This multimethod paper investigates how people with functional disabilities (hearing, visual and mobility impairments) adopt and respond to generative AI (GenAI). The authors combine a two-part survey study (Study 1) and a controlled experiment (Study 2). Study 1 uses a […]

The Rise of the Deinfluencers: Perceived Similarity and Anticipated Emotions in Advocating Mindful Consumption on Social Media Summary This paper by Gina A. Tran et al. (Psychology & Marketing) examines how deinfluencers — social media creators who discourage overconsumption and promote simpler, sustainable choices — shape consumer intentions and behaviour. Grounded in social cognitive theory, […]

Navigating the Complexity of Sustainability Communications: The Influence of Product Type, Media Type, and Brand Realism Summary This paper (Park & Minton, Psychology & Marketing) reports three experiments (total N = 1,153) testing when sustainability claims build consumer trust and persuasion. The study integrates product type (search, experience, credence), media channel (digital vs traditional), and […]

Beyond Traditional Metrics: Developing and Validating a Multidimensional Scale for Consumer Financial Well‐Being Summary This paper develops and validates a new Consumer Financial Well-Being (CFW) scale that moves beyond debt-focused measures to capture a multidimensional, consumer-centred construct. Using a rigorous five-study process (qualitative item generation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, cross-national validation and experimental tests), […]

Experiencing Dehumanization, Seeking Uniqueness: The Effect of Organizational Dehumanization on Uniqueness‐Seeking Consumption Summary This paper tests whether organisational dehumanisation – feeling treated like a machine or a replaceable resource – acts as a deep threat to people’s sense of humanness and drives them to seek uniqueness through consumption. Across one preliminary survey and five experiments, […]

Love Affair With Thin Air: Mortality, Mastery, and the Consumerism of Mountaineering Summary This paper applies Terror Management Theory (TMT) to mountaineering and reframes the activity as a long-term, mortality-buffered identity project rather than merely adrenaline-driven recreation. Drawing on ethnography, netnography and eight depth interviews from a Mount Rainier expedition, the authors identify four core […]