Abstract

This study demonstrates the applicability of an extended version of the Mehabian-Russell model in a women's apparel retail context. The model proposes that emotion and cognition affect consumers' behaviors and perceptions through product evaluations. In addition, the model suggests a direct relationship between perceptions and behaviors. The rationale for positioning emotions as antecedents of product evaluations is based on the "affect as information" theory, which had rarely been tested in a real retail context. The emotions measured in this study are pleasure and arousal; the cognitive variable studied is evaluation of the store environment; the behaviors of interest are word-of-mouth and repatronage intentions; and finally the perceptions evaluated were store image, shopping value and store personality. This thesis contributes to the literature in marketing and retailing by demonstrating the applicability of the "affect as information" theory and by specifying the mechanism by which emotions and cognition affect not only behaviors but also perceptions. It is also the first study to present the antecedents and consequences of store personality. Both emotions and cognition affected some dimensions of store personality; their effect was mediated by product evaluation