When happiness pays in negotiation: The interpersonal effects of ‘exit option’: directed emotions.Davide Pietroni,Gerben A. Van Kleef,Enrico Rubaltelli &Rino Rumiati -2009 -Mind and Society 8 (1):77-92.detailsPrevious research on the interpersonal effects of emotions in negotiation suggested that bargainers obtain higher outcomes expressing anger, when it is not directed against the counterpart as a person and it is perceived as appropriate. Instead, other studies indicated that successful negotiators express positive emotions. To reconcile this inconsistency, we propose that the direction of the effects of emotions depends on their perceived target, that is, whether the negotiatorsâ emotions are directed toward their opponentâs proposals or toward their own âexit (...) optionâ. An ultimatum game scenario experiment showed that negotiators who express positive emotion rather than negative, in addition to benefits in terms of relationship fortification, received better offers when participants perceived the negotiatorsâ emotions directed toward their own âexit optionâ. These findings indicate that positive emotions may signal the availability of better âexit optionâ, suggesting that happiness expressions can be strategically used to maximize both material and relational outcomes. (shrink)
Consumer decision in the context of a food hazard: the effect of commitment. [REVIEW]Michele Graffeo,Lucia Savadori,Katya Tentori,Nicolao Bonini &Rino Rumiati -2009 -Mind and Society 8 (1):59-76.detailsThe European market has faced a series of recurrent food scares, e.g. mad cow disease, chicken flu, dioxin poisoning in chickens, salmons and recently also in pigs (Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera , 07/12/2008). These food scares have had, in the short term, major socio-economic consequences, eroding consumer confidence and decreasing the willingness to buy potentially risky food products. The research reported in this paper considered the role of commitment to a food product in the context of food scares, and (...) in particular the effect of commitment on the purchasing intentions of consumers, on their attitude towards the product, and on their trust in the food supply chain. After the initial commitment had been obtained, a threat scenario evoking a risk associated with a specific food was presented, and a wider, related request was then made. Finally, a questionnaire tested the effects of commitment on the participantsâ attitude towards the product. The results showed that previous commitment can increase consumersâ behavioural intention to purchase and their attitude towards the food product, even in the presence of a potential hazard. (shrink)