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An editorial is presented in which the authors consider the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on scholarly publishing, with particular focus given to consumer research. Topics of discussion include digitization of consumer research practice, questions surrounding the use of GenAI during the research process, the use of GenAI as a support tool in editorship, and human adoption of AI.

This paper systematises the theoretical perspectives that inform the consumer-object relationship (C-OR) debate and its evolutionary trajectories to organise how a theory of the object has been developed in marketing and consumer research. We build on a diachronic critical reading of the key turning points in the debate to conduct a systematic review, combining a bibliometric and semantic-lexicographic analysis. Our analysis organises the contribution that each theoretical perspective offered to the development of a theory of the object, highlighting the interplays, contrasts, mesh-ups, and distinctions in terms of theoretical underpinnings, vocabularies, and ideological viewpoints. In so doing, it raises awareness about the significance of embracing diverse theoretical perspectives to guide further inquiry on the expanding role of smart and technological objects in C-OR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing concern about the proliferation of radical groups and violent content on social media platforms such as YouTube. These platforms present unique capacities to promote radicalised content, as they allow the flourishing of digital creators who amass large audiences and communicate their ideas in a compelling video format. Notwithstanding, consumer research has not yet provided a conceptualisation of such antagonistic online consumer gatherings in the ephemeral social media context. We investigate this phenomenon by combining netnographic sensibility with digital methods to explore the case of pro-gun YouTubers in Brazil. We propose the notion of online consumer counterpublics, which are online consumer collectives socio-technically shaped and promoted by social media influencers and their audiences on social media platforms based on strong oppositional discourses, ideas, affectivities, and values associated with a consumption topic, and who develop a compelling counter-hegemonic social identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the issue of whether and how work in the scholarly field of consumer research is relevant for various audiences. It notes concerns have been voiced about the content of the periodical failing to offer such relevance. It offers a framework for assessing different kinds of relevance that a consumer research study may have which includes considerations such as the targeted audience of the research question, the importance of the research topic, and whether the research results are actionable.

This research enriches the field's perspective on value and argues that to seriously address inequality during the next 50 years, consumer research must explore processual aspects of value hierarchy and consider its relationship to inequality. Doing so recognizes the duality of structures as embodying outcomes and agency, as well as the need to view value not only as what it is but also as what it does. To begin to address limitations in the literature, we use empirical evidence from an investigation of the cancer care market from 1970 to 2021 to understand how value hierarchy shapes and manifests as inequality. This is conceptualized as: distribution of multilevel resources, consolidation of consumer power, stratification of consumer agency, and (de)credentialization of worthiness. Building on each of these, we discuss a research agenda for future JCR inquiries and introduce "value hierarchy as inequality" as a big-tent issue for consumer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looking back at 50 years of Journal of Consumer Research methods and interviewing some of the field's most respected methodologists, this article seeks to craft a core set of best practices for scholars in consumer research. From perennial issues like conceptual validity to emerging issues like data integrity and replicability, the advice offered by our experts can help scholars improve the way they approach their research questions, provide empirical evidence that instills confidence, use new tools to make research more inclusive or descriptive of the "real world," and seek to become thought leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the study of consumer-related emerging topics in the Journal of Consumer Research (JCR) and looks ahead to consider what the next generation of emergent issues might be that capture consumer researchers' attention and interest. Drawing on conversations with eminent scholars who have made major contributions to JCR by introducing emerging topics to our literature, the author (i) provides a commentary of past approaches to researching novel emerging topics, (ii) suggests some domains from which new emerging topics for consumer research can be sourced, such as new digital technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence) and major societal challenges (e.g. climate change, sustainability, and health), and (iii) offers guidance on how to approach research on important emerging topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific communities such as journals or professional societies have their own ways of creating and sharing knowledge called "epistemic cultures." Drawing on prior reflexive scholarship and conversations with eight preeminent consumer researchers, this article explores some of the central tenets of epistemic culture at the Journal of Consumer Research (JCR): midrange scope, differential insight, meaningful impact, and multidisciplinary field. It also provides some guidance to new consumer researchers on how to accomplish epistemic fluency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article takes a "then and now" perspective on social and cultural issues in the Journal of Consumer Research. The author had conversations with preeminent scholars who reflected on theoretical developments over time, what we know, and what we should be most concerned with now and in the future. This article can be used as a call to action for future consumer research dealing with society and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of consumer scholarship must move beyond a mere counting of the number of "A"s on a researcher's CV to include at least some measure of impact. To facilitate a broader assessment of scholarship in consumer research, we provide detailed statistics on the productivity and citation impact of the field's 340 main gatekeepers: the editors, associate editors, and editorial board members of the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Consumer Psychology. In addition, we introduce a new metric, called the p -index, which can be interpreted as an indicator of a researcher's propensity for thought leadership. Using this metric, we show that productivity and thought leadership do not necessarily go hand in hand in consumer research and that a combination of the two is a good predictor of the level of esteem that consumer scholars enjoy among their peers and of the receipt of major career awards. Our analyses provide greater transparency into how productivity, citation impact, and propensity for thought leadership are currently distributed among prominent consumer scholars. Furthermore, the detailed descriptive statistics reported can serve as useful benchmarks against which other consumer researchers' records may be meaningfully compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we review the ways in which replication has been and could be featured in consumer behavior, using Journal of Consumer Research as a specific setting. We present a framework for thinking about the generalizability of research findings and differentiate various potential benefits that replication can have for understanding variability in consumer research findings. We then define four different types of replications, describe how researchers can use these approaches to produce distinct benefits, and give guidance regarding conducting, interpreting, and the potential contributions of these different types of replications. We conclude with a discussion of various ways in which replication could be more fully integrated into different phases of the scientific research process, taking into account the contribution necessary for publication. In particular, we identify opportunities to incorporate independent replication into original papers, to increase the replication-based contribution in papers that build on prior work, and to use systematic replication in conjunction with meta-analysis to synthesize and confirm conclusions from a mature research literature. More fully integrating replication into scientific practice can yield a new equilibrium, in which replication is routine, typically consistent with previous results, and recognized as necessary for establishing an empirical generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research studies the impact of articles appearing in the top four journals for consumer research— JCR , JMR , JM , and JCP— by examining factors that influence scholarly, public, and practical impact. This conceptually distinguishes between "incongruent novelty" (novelty arising from incongruity between an article and other existing articles) and "recombinant novelty" (novelty based on drawing from more disparate references). Incongruent novelty is decomposed into two components: (1) topic incongruity—incongruity between an article's topic and other existing topics at the time and (2) article incongruity—incongruity between an article and other existing articles on the same primary topic. By integrating topic modeling and word embedding to measure these constructs, we demonstrate varying impacts of types of novelty on three types of impact. Overall, our findings illustrate that topic and article incongruity have effects above and beyond recombinant novelty. For both scholarly and public impact, our results suggest that moderately high topic incongruity has the largest influence, suggesting that researchers should address novel topics. Additionally, scholarly citations are positively affected by lower and higher (vs. moderate) levels of article incongruity, suggesting that researchers either engage in programmatic research or add a new approach to the existing research on a topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations (UN) developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a "blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet." This initiative raises the question: how has the Journal of Consumer Research (JCR) shed light on the SDGs? This research analyzes 50 years of consumer research through the lens of the SDG and makes four contributions. First, the authors provide a content analysis of articles in JCR and how it relates to the SDGs over time; they also analyze the Journal of Consumer Psychology (JCP) and Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (JPP&M) with regard to the SDGs. Second, this research reveals where JCR has made progress and achieved impact (via Altmetric) but also identifies gaps in the literature. Thus, the analyses shed light on what research in JCR , JCP , and JPP&M understands (and does not understand) about consumer behavior and points the way to future SDG-oriented research. Finally, based on insights from interviews with thought leaders, sociology of science, UN data dashboards, and an exploratory survey in three countries (the U.S. France, and Singapore), the authors provide recommendations on how the field can (better) incorporate the SDGs in research, teaching, and service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust is one of the highly important concepts of consumer research; yet it is characterized by a striking lack of generalizations and consensus regarding the relative strength of its antecedents, consequences, and moderators. To close this important gap, the current research reports a comprehensive large-scale meta-analysis shedding light on a wide variety of the antecedents, consequences, and moderators of the individual consumer's trust and their relative importance. Empirical generalizations are based on 2,147 effect sizes from 549 studies across 469 manuscripts in numerous disciplines, representing a total of 324,834 respondents in 71 countries over a five-decade span (1970–2020). The key findings are thus that (1) integrity-based (vs. reliability-based) antecedents are more effective in driving trust, and (2) trust is more effective in improving primarily attitudinal (vs. primarily behavioral) outcomes. Moderation analyses unpack further heterogeneity. Notably, both integrity-based and reliability-based antecedents have become stronger drivers of consumer trust in recent years. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed in addition to advancing important future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-meta-analysis study quantifies the development of scientific knowledge in consumer research by summarizing the findings of 222 meta-analyses that together include 2481 meta-analytic effect sizes. The results provide an overview of how much we know and how knowledge has developed in consumer research over time. By explaining 7.8% variance (r = 0.28) in consumer-relevant dependent variables, the findings show that consumer research, a comparatively young discipline, is relatively effective at knowledge development compared to other disciplines. Furthermore, the accumulation of knowledge is significantly increasing, suggesting that our discipline is still in the growing phase of its life cycle and generating continuously improving explanations of consumer-related phenomena. The development of knowledge varies across consumer-relevant dependent variables, with strong explanations for relationships but significantly weaker ones for memory , affect , and attitudes. Moreover, the knowledge synthesized in meta-analyses is fairly—though not fully—representative of the content of primary research on consumers overall. The findings convey a future research agenda by identifying under-researched areas, advising on the selection of dependent variables, providing indicators for the expected contributions of future studies, suggesting implications for career strategies of consumer researchers, and discussing explanations for the observed knowledge growth effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital advertising platforms have emerged as a widely utilized data source in consumer research; yet, the interpretation of such data remains a source of confusion for many researchers. This article aims to address this issue by offering a comprehensive and accessible review of four prominent data collection methods proposed in the marketing literature: "informal studies," "multiple-ad studies without holdout," "single-ad studies with holdout," and "multiple-ad studies with holdout." By outlining the strengths and limitations of each method, we aim to enhance understanding regarding the inferences that can and cannot be drawn from the collected data. Furthermore, we present seven recommendations to effectively leverage these tools for programmatic consumer research. These recommendations provide guidance on how to use these tools to obtain causal and non-causal evidence for the effects of marketing interventions, and the associated psychological processes, in a digital environment regulated by targeting algorithms. We also give recommendations for how to describe the testing tools and the data they generate and urge platforms to be more transparent on how these tools work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Race has been a market force in society for centuries. Still, the question of what constitutes focused and sustainable consumer research engagement with race remains opaque. We propose a guide for scholars and scholarship that extends the current canon of race in consumer research toward understanding race, racism, and related racial dynamics as foundational to global markets and central to consumer research efforts. We discuss the nature, relevance, and meaning of race for consumer research and offer a thematic framework that critically categorizes and synthesizes extant consumer research on race along the following dimensions: (1) racial structuring of consumption and consumer markets, (2) consumer navigation of racialized markets, and (3) consumer resistance and advocacy movements. We build on our discussion to guide future research that foregrounds racial dynamics in consumer research and offers impactful theoretical and practical contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 50 years, consumer researchers have presented extensive evidence that consumer preference can be swayed by the decision context, particularly the configuration of the choice set. Importantly, behavioral research on context effects has inspired prominent quantitative research on multialternative decision-making published in leading psychology, management, economics, and general interest journals. While both streams of research seem to agree that context effects are an important research area, there has been relatively limited interaction, communication, and collaboration between the two research camps. In this article, we seek to initiate an active dialogue between the two sides. We begin by providing a critical overview of the two literatures on context effects, discussing both their strengths and weaknesses, as well as disparities and complementarities. Here, we place particular emphasis on deepening consumer researchers' understanding of context effects by drawing on prominent quantitative research published in non-marketing journals over the last decades. Importantly, we provide a roadmap for the future that can inspire further research and potential collaborations between the two camps, overcoming silos in knowledge creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 50+ years, there has been a huge rise in interest in consumer language research. This article spotlights the emergence and evolution of this area, identifying key themes and trends and highlighting topics for future research. Work has evolved from exploration of broad language concepts (e.g. rhetorics) to specific linguistic features (e.g. phonemes) and from monologues (e.g. advertiser to consumer) to two-way dialogues (e.g. consumer to service representative and back). We discuss future opportunities that arise from past trends and suggest two important shifts that prompt questions for future research: the new shift toward using voice (vs. hands) when interacting with objects and the ongoing shift toward using hands (vs. voices) to communicate with people. By synthesizing the past, and delineating a research agenda for the future, we hope to encourage more researchers to begin to explore this burgeoning area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this recursively reflexive comment, I reflect on the seven commentaries that critically elaborate upon my proposals about the radically decentering ontological implications of Russ Belk's conceptualization of the extended self. These wide-ranging commentaries address a nexus of thought provoking and intriguing topics that significantly expand and enrich this discussion about the future of consumer research (as we can best envision it from the limits of our contemporary standpoints). I am thrilled to have provided an impetus for these reflections and, as a secondary benefit, they have helped me to better crystallize my initial reflections via the reflexive trope of the consumer as an elusive epistemic object, endlessly pursued by marketing researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this commentary, I draw on Annemarie Mol's work to ponder the implications of multiple ontologies of the body that are enacted in research as well as in domains such as athletics. I highlight the work of consumption scholars who have been demonstrating the relational entanglements of human bodies various other-than-human bodies and materialities, revealing a more distributed performance of the body and the self. I note the possibilities of reading Belk's oeuvre through the lens of multiple ontologies and enactments. In doing so, I question the linear and uni-directional evolution from "heavier" to "lighter" ontologies of the self in consumer research that Thompson's commentary seems to imply. I finally highlight the politics of ontological enactments and their implications for bodily wellness and autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belk's conceptualisation of the extended self is one of the most influential articles published in the history of consumer research. However, less scholarly attention has been given to the broader ontological implications of Belk's later arguments that his original distinction between a core and extended self should be abandoned. In this comment, I first highlight how Belk's original formulation marked a contested transition from a dualistic view of consumers as possessing a core self that remains distinct from the socio-material world to a dialectical understanding of consumer selves as emerging from a centre-to-periphery network of relations. His ensuing update implicitly denotes another ontological shift towards an even more de-centred view of the 'extended self'. However, Belk's reformulation of the extended self in the digital age lacked a culturally established, alternative praxeomorphic model needed to fully disentangle the extended self from the 'heavy' ontology of the core self. Contemporary socio-technical innovations are beginning to offer a praxeomorphic means to ontologically re-vision consumers as distributed networks whose life narratives function as ledgers of their assembled experiences. As an emerging praxeomorphic future shaped by the mass diffusion of AI technologies is rapidly taking shape, I suggest that 'consumer research', as we currently understand it, may soon be radically transformed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is born of the joy and pain of institutional life. It responds to recent work by Craig Thompson and is a response to an invitation to participate from the Editor of the JMM (Mark Tadajewski). It seeks to take seriously the role of consumer research and consumption within society. It seeks to tell 'better stories' about the past, present and what it sees as a reimagined future for consumer research. To do so, it revisits some of the canonical works of consumer research, such exemplary work it suggests are worthy of revisiting and critiquing if we are to chart a rejuvenated form of consumer research that takes seriously our contemporary predicament and is more critical and incisive in its intent. With renewed purpose it takes on board the insights around Bauman's notion of 'liquid times', offers a range of opportunities, possibilities and dangers around the conflicted consumer self and puts forward an ABC of critical consumer research, where notions of affect, breakdown, contradiction are taken seriously for their theoretical and practical insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craig Thompson (2024) offers an analysis of how Belk's distinction between the consumer's core self and extended self continues to be conceptually ambiguous and persistently troublesome as an onto epistemological foundation in consumer research. He notes that the recent proliferation of consumer technologies may lead us to finally see things for what they are and thus to forsake our lingering longing for an agentic core self in control. We offer a theological reading that stretches backwards for insights to what guarantees us the very problem of the self and the questions we can ask of it. We also offer grounds for believing that the trouble goes back to times immemorial, is largely non-negotiable, and is here to stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, the marketing literature has seen the emergence of research dedicated to consumers with disabilities (CWD). This work is mostly based on the social model of disability, which encourages practitioners to eradicate the physical and architectural barriers faced by individuals. However, in the field of disability studies, the social model is increasingly criticised both for being too radical and for neglecting the subjective experience of disability. In this paper, we attempt to illuminate existing views, while advocating new perspectives, for conceptualising and representing disability in consumer research. With this in mind, we first briefly present the major conceptual foundations and models of disability research. Then, we systematically review marketing literature on CWD to examine the perspectives used when studying this phenomenon. Finally, we propose a research agenda aimed at advancing the understanding of consumption and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the changes made by the Academy of Marketing to better meet the needs of the academic community and shape the direction of the Academy. The annual conference introduced capacity building research workshops in 2018, which became even more important when the 2020 conference was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The article highlights 18 workshops that focused on reframing marketing priorities and explored various topics such as consumer research during the pandemic, digital assessments, sustainability in marketing, and virtual engagement. The article also mentions six papers in a special issue that examine the role of technology in marketing practices, teaching, and future imagining. The papers cover topics such as assessment strategies for work-ready graduates, online consumption of the arts, virtual community building, online religious engagement, entrepreneurial decision-making, and stakeholder co-creation of smart cities. The article concludes by encouraging readers to embrace the opportunities to advance marketing priorities through technology. [Extracted from the article]

The promotion of diversity and inclusion in advertising has the potential to bring about positive change in society. Despite its importance, there has been limited research on consumer reactions to these initiatives, making it challenging to understand their complexities and nuances fully. To address this gap, this study employs a mixed-method approach, combining a typology of reactions to diversity and inclusion advertising (DIA) with qualitative interviews to provide a comprehensive framework for researchers and practitioners. Underpinned by social identity theory, this study segments individuals based on their attitudes and perceptions toward DIA and their level of belief congruence with the message. The resulting framework sheds light on the interplay among individual perceptions, execution considerations, and brand-related perceptions, highlighting the importance of understanding the attitudes of each segment. Critically, three of the four segments suffer from brand-related perceptions, be it a lack of authenticity or engagement or perceptions of selfish motives, making it imperative for practitioners to understand and address these challenges. Finally, we move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to DIA, offering a framework for practitioners, including tailored recommendations for each segment, enabling them to navigate the complex interplay among individual perceptions, execution considerations, and brand-related perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is home to 27 of the world's 28 poorest, marginalised and most vulnerable countries. There are limited studies on the challenges and opportunities of researching marginalised consumers in Africa, even though more than 440 million marginalised consumers consume products and services that require market research. This paper aims to critically identify and discuss the challenges and opportunities for researching marginalised consumers in Africa using insights from empirical studies conducted in various countries between 2009 and 2022. The paper proposes a conceptual framework that outlines the methodological and operational challenges and enablers for market research and concludes with practical guidelines of considerations that researchers should take for researching the marginalised in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study investigates the drivers of e-commerce continuance intentions among older consumers in Latin America. It employs the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to develop and test a conceptual model of e-commerce adoption for older adults in Chile. Data were collected through an online survey involving 202 participants aged 65 and over. The findings reveal that attitude toward e-commerce and three UTAUT2 predictors—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence—are significantly related to e-commerce continuance intentions. Consumer innovativeness also has an indirect relationship through its impact on attitudes toward e-commerce. Additionally, facilitating conditions and habit are indirectly and significantly related to e-commerce continuance intentions through their influence on effort expectancy. However, hedonic motivation, perceived privacy risk, and health condition do not serve as significant predictors of e-commerce continuance intentions. This study enhances the understanding of older consumers’ intentions to continue adopting e-commerce in a Latin American country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given economic downturns and environmental concerns, promoting innovative consumption patterns is urgently needed. Swap is a promising collaborative consumption pattern that redistributes ownership of goods without using money. In the past, no research has focused on swap platform quality due to a lack of empirical resources. Therefore, this study aims to construct theoretical methods for evaluating and optimizing the quality of swap platforms. Analyzing consumer characteristics and motivations, the study creates a user profile that guides swap platforms' market positioning. Then a quality evaluation model for swap platforms is constructed to identify areas for improvement. Data were collected from core users of a start-up swap platform in Shanghai, including 20 in-depth interviews and 180 survey questionnaires. The findings reveal that the main consumers in Shanghai's swap market are highly educated women aged 20 to 40, with upper-middle incomes. They are motivated by functional, charitable, economic, and hedonic factors. Using grounded theory and the IPA method, this study developed a quality evaluation model for swap platforms, consisting of 18 indicators that clearly distinguish areas of weakness and strengths. This study provides valuable insights into the methodological research of quality evaluation for swap platforms and offers practical suggestions for their optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embracing diversity and promoting inclusion is a critical challenge for marketers to meet the diverse consumers' needs and have a positive social impact. Despite increasing attention to diversity and inclusion, and calls to address inequalities, there appears to be a lack of a thorough understanding of diversity and inclusion in consumer research, and how marketing can effectively contribute to an inclusive and equity‐oriented society. Previous reviews and conceptual articles often focus on specific types of diversity or contexts. This study aims to provide a comprehensive examination of diversity and inclusion in consumer research through a systematic literature review of 52 articles combined with the theory, context, characteristics, and methodology (TCCM) framework. Our findings highlight that companies can actively foster inclusion and enhance equity through their policies, also by addressing stigmatization and marginalization. A conceptual framework outlines the impacts of these policies on individuals, society, and company performances, followed by a detailed research agenda for future studies. This article emphasizes the role of marketing in fostering inclusion but also stimulates practitioners to contribute through policies beyond representation and advertising, such as service and product design, and ensuring vulnerable consumers access to resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We set forth an agenda for Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) research in consumer psychology, focusing in particular on four pathways: (1) factoring in multiple identities, including moral identities, to account for contextual elevation or suppression of moral foundations in predicting which decisions consumers moralize and when; (2) broadening the methodological usage of MFT to include more targeted causal research as well as expanding the utility of correlational research; (3) increasing discriminant validity between MFT and other constructs by studying moral foundations as individually manipulable and focusing on their incremental predictive validity over and above demographics and related constructs; and (4) recognizing that researcher biases regarding morality can leak into the publication process, necessitating clear distinctions between prescriptive versus descriptive research. These pathways facilitate more precise and stronger predictive validity for applying MFT in consumer psychology, yielding greater theoretical and practical utility across researcher perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questionnaire consumer survey research is primarily used for marketing research. To obtain credible results, collecting responses from numerous participants is necessary. However, two crucial challenges prevent marketers from conducting large-sample size surveys. The first is cost, as organizations with limited marketing budgets struggle to gather sufficient data. The second involves rare population groups, where it is difficult to obtain representative samples. Furthermore, the increasing awareness of privacy and security concerns has made it challenging to ask sensitive and personal questions, further complicating respondent recruitment. To address these challenges, we augmented small-sized datawith synthesized data generated using deep generative neural networks (DGNNs). The synthesized data from three types of DGNNs (CTGAN, TVAE, and CopulaGAN) were based on seed data. For validation, 11 datasets were prepared: real data (original and seed), synthesized data (CTGAN, TVAE, and CopulaGAN), and augmented data (original + CTGAN, original + TVAE, original + CopulaGAN, seed + CTGAN, seed + TVAE, and seed + CopulaGAN). The large-sample-sized data, termed "original data", served as the benchmark, whereas the small-sample-sized data acted as the foundation for synthesizing additional data. These datasets were evaluated using machine learning algorithms, particularly focusing on classification tasks. Conclusively, augmenting and synthesizing consumer survey data have shown potential in enhancing predictive performance, irrespective of the dataset's size. Nonetheless, the challenge remains to minimize discrepancies between the original data and other datasets concerning the values and orders of feature importance. Although the efficacy of all three approaches should be improved in future work, CopulaGAN more accurately grasps the dependencies between the variables in table data compared with the other two DGNNs. The results provide cues for augmenting data with dependencies between variables in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to systematically review the existing literature on the concept of consumer sovereignty. Design/methodology/approach: By leveraging a systematic literature review using a data-driven approach and quantitative methodology, this study provides an overview of the intellectual structure of consumer sovereignty research. Findings: We explored the main topics that researchers tackled in consumer sovereignty research. Furthermore, we identified the theoretical lenses used in these studies. Finally, we proposed a research agenda to advance the scholarly debate on consumer sovereignty. Research limitations/implications: Some limitations should be acknowledged. First, the study only studied and analyzed consumer sovereignty articles that were published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Second, our review comprised journals identified in Scopus. Third, in this study, we have taken into account only articles written in English. Practical implications: The authors expect the current review to significantly impact the identification of theories for the main trends in the academic analysis of consumer sovereignty and consumer behavior. Originality/value: This study is the first to provide an integrated view of the body of consumer sovereignty. This review provides a strong contribution to consumer sovereignty literature by recommending a new research agenda for the concept of consumer sovereignty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative perspective to the article on consumer vulnerability recently published in this journal by Russell-Bennett et al. (2024). Design/methodology/approach: The approach is collegial but firm in its analysis of their discussion about how vulnerable consumers feel and react, as offered without appropriate review and details from previous research. Findings: The perspective given by the authors is found to lack sufficient substance and foundation in the consumer vulnerability literature across several leading journals in the field. Alternative interpretations are presented and articulated. Originality/value: All ideas expressed as a counter to their arguments come from decades of experiences working with vulnerable peoples across multiple contexts and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore how a postmodern tribe enacts and re-interprets ideologies as a part of consumers' collective experience, to enhance our understanding of consumer communities in conjunction with ideological capacities. Design/methodology/approach: The community of "presenteers" is conceptualized as a self-organized tribe with heterogeneous components that generate capacities to act. Netnographic observation was conducted on 18 presenteer accounts and lasted around six months. Real-time data were collected by taking screenshots of the posts and stories that these users created and publicly shared. Data were analysed by adopting assemblage theory, combining inductive and deductive approaches. Firstly, a qualitative visual-textual content analysis of the tribe's defining components was conducted. Then, the process continued with the thematic analysis of the ideological underpinnings of the tribe's enactments. Findings: Findings shed light on the ways in which consumer communities interpret the entanglement of religious, political, and cultural ideologies in shaping their experiences. In the case of the presenteers tribe, findings reflect a novel ideological interplay between neo-Ottomanism, post-feminism and consumerism. Research limitations/implications: The study offers a deep dive into a unique tribe that is being organized around the consumer-created practice of "presenteering" and investigates consumer communalization in alignment with the ideological turn in culture-oriented interpretative research on consumers, consumption, and markets. This exploration helps to bridge the research on the communalization of consumers with the recent discussions of ideology in the postmodern market. Originality/value: The study offers a deep dive into a unique tribe that is being organized around the consumer-created practice of "presenteering" and investigates consumer communalization in alignment with the ideological turn in culture-oriented interpretative research on consumers, consumption, and markets. This exploration helps to bridge the research on the communalization of consumers with the recent discussions of ideology in the postmodern market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food evaluation is a topic central to consumer research and food marketing. However, there is little consensus regarding how consumers combine sensory stimuli, product information, and visual impressions to shape their evaluation. Moreover, the bulk of research relies on studies based on questionnaires and declarative responses, raising questions about subliminal processes and their hierarchy in an evaluation process. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a study with more than 400 participants in Morocco and Tunisia and investigated how factors such as flavor/taste, product information, and packaging design in a variety of olive oils influence visual attention and are reflected in willingness to pay (WTP). We implemented incentivization through an auction to reduce the hypothetical bias in stated WTP values. The results revealed that, compared to tasting the oils, the provision of cognitive information led to an increase in consumers' WTP. However, a drastic increase in WTP occurred when the consumers were exposed to package designs, overshadowing the formerly dominant effects of product attributes. These findings support theories suggesting a visual perceptual processing advantage due to the picture superiority effect–a picture says a thousand words. Further, it underlines the importance of graphic design in food marketing. The findings have ramifications for food marketing, product development, and pricing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate consumer attitudes toward the quality and availability of gluten-free products. For this purpose, quantitative research was conducted using a questionnaire completed by 107 respondents who consumed gluten-free products. The results of the research showed that most consumers prepared their own meals, paid attention to ingredients, and strictly adhered to a gluten-free diet. About 10% of the respondents declared that they occasionally did not follow a gluten-free diet. Respondents were generally not satisfied with the price and availability of gluten-free products on the market. An additional aggravating circumstance for them when eating out was that restaurants generally do not have a sufficient selection of gluten-free dishes in their daily offer. Although most of them stated that they buy basic, well-known gluten-free products, they want to try new products with different, new flavors. This demand offers food manufacturers the opportunity to capitalize on the rapidly growing gluten-free market by developing creative and sustainable products that not only meet dietary requirements but also exceed consumer expectations. By focusing on innovation and variety, companies can participate in a profitable market while contributing to the growth of a more sustainable economy. The results of this study pointed to consumer preferences that could be used to influence the improvement and development of new gluten-free products, which are on the rise and will have a better nutritional quality and thus had a positive impact on health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterials and MethodsResultsConclusion\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONPathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) is an intervention to optimise individuals’ participation by building problem-solving capacity and addressing environmental barriers. We investigated the feasibility of implementing PREP with young adults (18–30 years) with complex disability in Australia.Explanatory sequential mixed methods study in three stages. (i) PREP materials were collaboratively adapted by the research team and consumer research partners. (ii) Steps 1 and 2 of PREP (YA Supplement) were completed with three young adults with disability, and preliminary feasibility explored using qualitative methods. (iii) The feasibility of implementing adapted materials was examined using quantitative and qualitative methods involving four young adults with disability, six support people and two service providers.Stage 1: PREP Young Adults Supplement (PREP (YA Supplement)) for use alongside PREP was developed. Stages 2 and 3: findings indicated PREP (YA Supplement) was acceptable, appropriate and feasible. Three themes were identified: setting and achieving goals were associated with challenges and benefits; finding the right time to implement the program was necessary; and PREP (YA Supplement) drives a shift to a participation-focused approach.PREP delivered alongside PREP (YA Supplement) appears feasible with Australian young adults with complex disability.A novel supplement for the evidence-based Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) intervention has been developed to enhance participation in life situations for young adults with disability in an Australian context (PREP Young Adult Supplement).Setting participation goals may be a substantial shift for young adults with disability and rehabilitation professionals, and involves considering attendance at, and involvement in, life situations.Implementation of PREP/PREP Young Adult Supplement is inherently flexible and can be adapted to suit the needs, preferences and circumstances of the participant.A novel supplement for the evidence-based Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) intervention has been developed to enhance participation in life situations for young adults with disability in an Australian context (PREP Young Adult Supplement).Setting participation goals may be a substantial shift for young adults with disability and rehabilitation professionals, and involves considering attendance at, and involvement in, life situations.Implementation of PREP/PREP Young Adult Supplement is inherently flexible and can be adapted to suit the needs, preferences and circumstances of the participant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the mid-1980s, "experience" has become a central object of reflection for marketing as well as for semiotics, to the extent that meaning is always created during an experience. However, English and French literatures on experiential marketing often approach the concept of experience differently. This article argues that these divergences concern the thematic of the experience (i.e. shopping vs consuming), and that, more essentially, experience should be conceived as the common denominator of all marketing offerings, no matter if it is a product, a service, an event, a place ... Using the post-structural semiotic frameworks of the "interactional regimes" theory, the author proposes to consider four fundamental consumer experiences (domination, cooperation, emancipation, and harmonization), each of these related to the logic of a specific type of offering: "goods," "play," "work" and "existence." In considering these four macro-offerings, this paper aims to better grasp the interactional and semiotic stakes of consumer experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant consumer research interested in disruption and adaptation to routines undertheorizes the role of 'meanings' in adaptation processes, which are implicated as obstacles, or understood as adjustable to achieve adaptation. Practice theory foregrounds the dynamics of practices and their elements as shaping practice transition. From this, we explore and theorize meanings in practice adaptation by mobilising the theoretical leverage of concept of 'teleoaffective structures' to provide a granular theoretical account of how meanings shape adaptation after practice disruption. Through our empirical material, with strength training practitioners adapting to home training after gym closures, we illuminate how multifaceted teleoaffective 'components' are configured differently into routinised practice performances. These constitute practice–practitioner relationships. The characteristics of these teleoaffective configurations stretch across a spectrum from rigid to fluid, and shape adaptation pathways termed 'replicate' or 'tolerate'. Rigid teleoaffective configurations constrain adaptation, demanding replication of the practice, which is often impossible because its feel and purpose become lost in new spatio-material contexts. Fluid configurations are more transportable and foster tolerance of reconfigured practices, often because of the variety of end goals, lack of dominant affective ends and because variability is built in, which means the practice is transportable. The theorisation of teleoaffective configuration contributes to existing research that foregrounds the role of creative consumer striving in practice adaptation by identifying how the life of elements and practitioners' intentional activity intersect to shape adaptation attempts. The study also advances from research that uses a collapsed conceptualisation of 'meaning' by embracing the complexity of teleoaffective structures. Furthermore, the framework connects understandings of practitioner and practice variance with adaptation outcomes whilst keeping practice elements, particularly the teleoaffective structure, as the central unit of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls for research contribution and demands for original theories have become visibly and audibly louder in review processes over the last two decades. In interpretivist marketing and consumer research, such calls have been accompanied by an emphasis on the importance of theory and on drawing on context when crafting impactful research contributions. By investigating the rhetorical claims made by authors in 45 highly cited articles, published between 2005 and 2019 in three representative marketing journals, this paper provides a kaleidoscopic, three-dimensional framework that maps out and explores the rhetorical devices employed in interpretivist scholarship. Based on the framework, the paper suggests different pathways that researchers can follow to navigate through the complex process of shaping and developing relevant and impactful research contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer protection in the financial market has several dimensions. From a formal point of view, consumer rights are guaranteed by law. Educational programs are implemented in schools and the media to promote knowledge and responsible use of financial products and services. Despite the efforts made, the number of incorrect and suboptimal financial decisions is so high that the risk of households falling into excessive debt remains significant. The limited effectiveness of the law led to the claim that only effective education can reduce the risk of suboptimal financial decisions. Unfortunately, the efforts made in this area are not fully satisfactory. The study of financial knowledge of consumers, which was conducted in Poland in January 2024, aimed to verify consumer errors and their nature. As part of the consumer study, not only declared knowledge was verified, but also actual knowledge. The researchers' doubts resulted from a comparison of the results of scientific research in this area with the current market situation. Consumers declare a high level of knowledge of economic and financial concepts. In practice, however, they make mistakes that do not only indicate behavioral cognitive errors but also a lack of knowledge. The test questions were constructed in such a way as to verify the declared knowledge (based on verification questions). These showed that the actual level of knowledge was lower than the declared one. A review of the literature and studies of financial knowledge and financial competence of consumers in Central European countries was also carried out. Analysis of the results allowed for the formulation of conclusions regarding the educational gap in relation to social characteristics. The conclusions resulting from the study raise questions about the effectiveness of the educational methods used and indicate possible directions of changes in the consumer regulation policy, the aim of which is to ensure a high level of consumer protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of fintech companies has revolutionized the credit ecosystem by providing flexible credit products with lower interest rates and convenient repayment options. These companies have introduced fintech credit products (FCP) that target young consumers, including the popular Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL). Despite the increasing popularity of FCP, there is a dearth of research on understanding consumers' attitudes toward using them. Thus, this study aims to fill the literature gap by examining the attitude formation of young consumers toward FCP in the context of BNPL. Using a stimulus-organism-response framework and SmartPLS, the study assessed the stimulus (affordability, flexibility, and structural assurance) and organism (perceived usefulness and trust) factors that affect attitude formation toward FCP among young consumers. The result shows that affordability, flexibility, structural assurance, and perceived usefulness help form consumers' attitudes toward FCP. The findings of this study can contribute to understanding young consumers' preferences and expectations toward FCP and inform fintech companies in designing and marketing FCP that meet consumer needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing emotions in textual data is crucial in a wide range of natural language processing (NLP) applications, from consumer sentiment research to mental health evaluation. The word embedding techniques play a pivotal role in text processing. In this paper, the performance of several well-known word embedding methods is evaluated in the context of emotion recognition. The classification of emotions is further enhanced using a convolutional neural network (CNN) model because of its propensity to capture local patterns and its recent triumphs in text-related tasks. The integration of CNN with word embedding techniques introduced an additional layer to the landscape of emotion detection from text. The synergy between word embedding techniques and CNN harnesses the strengths of both approaches. CNNs extract local patterns and features from sequential data, making them well-suited for capturing relevant information within the embeddings. The results obtained with various embeddings highlight the significance of choosing synergistic combinations for optimum performance. The combination of CNNs and word embeddings proved a versatile and effective approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal (FCSRJ) is a multidisciplinary journal that includes Professional Issues as one of eight topic areas. This paper examined 28 professional issue papers published in FCSRJ between 2009 and 2022. The following eight categories emerged: Early Leaders in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS); Understanding FCS; Accreditation and Standards; Collaboration, Funding, and Leadership; Current Leaders; Mentoring Students; Mastering the Art of Publishing; and Approaches to Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Overall, this study highlights the potential for diverse voices and formats to enrich the discourse surrounding professional issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given the growing acceptance of cashback offers (e.g. $10 PayPal cashback within 24 hours of the transaction) among retailers, this paper aims to understand how consumers evaluate them vis-à-vis traditional price-discounts and their subsequent impact on retailers' promotional strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Six experimental studies examine if and when consumers can discern differences in the time-of-reward-accrual (i.e. the waiting time associated with receiving promotional savings) of cashbacks and price-discounts. Building on evaluability theory, we propose that the time-of-reward-accrual of promotion is hard-to-evaluate. Put simply, consumers find it hard to assess the duration of waiting time associated with receiving promotions. Consequently, consumers' perceptions of cashbacks vis-à-vis price-discounts can be influenced by whether they evaluate both promotions simultaneously [joint-evaluation (JE) mode] or independently [single-evaluation (SE) mode]. Findings: The initial four studies show that the time-of-reward-accrual of promotions is hard-to-evaluate. Cashbacks appear just as appealing as price-discounts when consumers evaluate them independently (SE-mode) but lose their appeal when consumers view them alongside price-discounts (JE-mode). The next two studies further enhance the generalizability of our findings by replicating the observed effects for different purchase types (hedonic vs utilitarian) and varying promotional benefit levels (high vs low). Originality/value: By shedding light on evaluations of time-of-reward-accrual of promotion, this paper adds a new dimension to research on promotions. The paper also extends the application of evaluability theory beyond domains such as hiring, fairness judgments and product bundle assessments. The paper presents evaluation mode as a boundary condition to explain contradictory predictions from prior research for consumers' preferences for delayed vs immediate promotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on consumer financial vulnerability (CFV) was especially encouraged in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, becoming a phenomenon of global interest to academics and policy makers. This paper reviews the existing academic literature on CFV with the aim of mapping out four research fields (i.e., the concept, the measures, the methods, and the drivers of this phenomenon) and providing a roadmap for a future research agenda for this field. To this end, we review the last two decades of academic research on households' financial vulnerability, thereby presenting a hybrid literature review. Evidence from a comprehensive analysis of 98 academic papers suggests that this is still an emerging and highly fragmented field and, therefore, a comprehensive future research agenda is offered, including concrete suggestions for research designs and measurements. The proposal of a homogeneous definition of financial vulnerability, the consideration of measures that include subjective aspects of the phenomenon, the use of qualitative methods, and the development of more detailed theoretical and empirical research on the drivers of CFV, are among the authors' recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate how implying movement in food packaging imagery may affect product liking. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism is investigated by studying the effect of implied motion visuals on design appeal and naturalness perception. Design/methodology/approach: Two packages of pineapple juice were designed in which the implied motion depicted in their imagery was manipulated, and a tasting experiment was conducted in which two samples of the same juice were evaluated. Findings: The results show that the effect of packaging imagery on product liking occurs indirectly through both design appeal and the product naturalness perception. The results of a parallel multiple-mediator analysis show that (1) depicting implied motion made the package be perceived as more appealing, (2) the product corresponding to the package depicting implied motion was perceived as being more natural, and (3) both effects equally contributed to the positive effect of visuals depicting implied motion on product liking. Originality/value: Overall, these findings widen our understanding of the effects of packaging design on product liking and may help both designers and manufacturers design more appropriate packaging for their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]