Difference of Motive and Coping Strategy between Anger and Sadness

Purpose: Current study aimed at exploring the effects of ambient anger versus sadness on motive type and coping strategy type when consumers make decision. It focused on whether the negative affects of the anger and the sadness differentially induce approach versus avoidance motive at the place of making decision, and also explored the coping strategy differences between the consumers under the anger and those under the sadness, that is, which strategy is more used between problem-focused strategy and affect-focused strategy when they are under each negative affect. Research design, data and methodology: The experimental groups were divided into two types of group such as the anger-felt group and the sadness-felt group. The experiment was performed with the between-subjects design based on the anger and the sadness. Questionnaire data were collected from undergraduate students assigned to each of the anger group and the sadness group operated by the scenario method, and the data were used to verify research hypotheses by t-test. Results: - First, the anger induced the approach motive more rather than the avoidance motive in making decision. Second, to cope the negative affects, consumers under the anger used problem-focused strategy more than affect-focused strategy, while those under the sadness used affect-focused strategy more than problem-focused strategy. Therefore, this article contributes to the theory related to motive and making decision taken place to consumers under ambient negative emotions. Conclusions: Focusing on the results of this study, there could be managerial implications to brand or product marketing managers. Checking which affect consumers previously felt between anger and sadness when they are under negative affects is at issue to the brand or product marketers when they appeal their brand or product to the consumers. The marketers should build and communicate the messages about their product or brand in the respect of the points of showing problem solution or the best way to handle things to appeal the consumers under the anger. And they should develop and communicate the messages about their product or brand emphasizing the aspects of letting consumers' sad feelings out somehow or controlling their emotions to the consumers under sadness.