Essays on Consumer Anticipation: How Anticipated Feelings and Judgments Shape Consumer Decisions Across Sustainable, Ethical, and Hedonic Consumption

Consumer decisions are shaped as much by imagination as by reality. Much of what we do as consumers, when choosing a behavior, a product, or an experience to engage with, is to anticipate how that choice will make us feel, how it will appear to others, and ultimately, what kind of value it will deliver. This dissertation shows that our anticipation of future value—in social, emotional, and epistemic forms—not only guides choice but also shapes the outcomes that follow. Using multiple methods, this research investigates when observers value others’ sustainable behaviors and how this anticipated social value influences the promotion of such behaviors (Chapter 2); why consumers often anticipate diminished emotional value from ethical products and how this anticipation shapes their choices (Chapter 3); and how perceptual framing alters anticipation of epistemic value in hedonic experiences, thereby enhancing enjoyment of the same experience (Chapter 4). The author hopes that this dissertation will inform how marketers, policymakers, and consumers design, support, and engage with consumption experiences in ways that are both personally fulfilling and socially impactful.