Happiness Research
The topic of "happiness" is becoming increasingly important in society and science. In the field of marketing, too, there is growing interest in questions relating to this subject of positive psychology. For a long time, questions relating to the possibilities of influencing happiness were at the centre of interest (e.g. can brands and products help to make consumers happier? Can brands and products contribute to consumers being happier?), in recent years psychological research has also increasingly been able to uncover immediate and delayed effects of positive emotions on our thinking and behaviour.
This research project will build on these findings and investigate how positive emotions affect consumer behaviour in various areas (e.g. in the development of brand-related knowledge structures or brand relationships).
Recommended starting literature:
- Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Amercian Psychologist, 56 (3), 218.
- Labroo, A. A., & Patrick, V. M. (2008). Psychological distancing: Why happiness helps you see the big picture. Journal of Consumer Research, 35 (5), 800-809.
- Lyubomirsky, S., King, L. & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 131, No. 6.
- Zhong, J. Y., & Mitchell, V. W. (2012). Does consumer well-being affect hedonic consumption? Psychology & Marketing, 29 (8), 583-594.
