Abstract:

This work examines how perceived power influences the preference of different product appeals. Based on accumulating evidence that powerful state increases one’s concern about one’s own internal desires, we find high power will lead to a greater preference for products with self-benefit appeals. In contrast, extensive past research has shown that powerlessness pays more attention to others in the environment, so they will prefer products with other-benefit appeals. In other words, versus people with high power, people with low power prefer products with other-benefit appeals. When self-accountability is activated, the difference of preference for products with other-benefit appeals between people with high power and people with low power will disappear. The anticipated guilt for not to buy products with other-benefit appeals mediates the interact effect of power states and self-accountability to the preference of products with other-benefit appeals. These findings have potentially broad implications to understand factors influence preference for products with other-benefit appeals and how to improve the preference of products with other-benefit appeals.

Key words: Power, Self-benefit Appeal, Other-benefit Appeal, Self-accountability, Guilt