Consumer responses to infectious disease cues: an integrative framework and research agenda

Consumer responses to infectious disease cues: an integrative framework and research agenda
Felipe M. Affonso
European Journal of Marketing, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to develop an integrative framework explaining how infectious disease cues influence consumer behavior by connecting evolutionary psychology and behavioral immune system literature with consumer research.

The paper synthesizes pathogen-avoidance psychology and consumer behavior research to identify three psychological changes (affect, cognition, motivation) influencing consumer responses, developing theoretical propositions across five domains while identifying boundary conditions.

Disease cues trigger changes in affect (disgust, anxiety), cognition (narrowed attention) and motivation (self-protection). These influence consumer responses across self-regulation, social behavior/identity, information processing, evaluation and prosocial/sustainable behaviors. The framework identifies boundary conditions moderating these effects.

The framework advances understanding of disease threats’ influence on consumer behavior and suggests future research directions, including contextual effects and individual differences.

The framework helps marketers predict consumer responses to disease cues, offering insights for marketing strategies during health crises and normal times.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper provides the first comprehensive framework explaining disease cues’ systematic influence on consumer behavior through psychological changes, extending behavioral immune system theory into consumer domains.

​This paper aims to develop an integrative framework explaining how infectious disease cues influence consumer behavior by connecting evolutionary psychology and behavioral immune system literature with consumer research. The paper synthesizes pathogen-avoidance psychology and consumer behavior research to identify three psychological changes (affect, cognition, motivation) influencing consumer responses, developing theoretical propositions across five domains while identifying boundary conditions. Disease cues trigger changes in affect (disgust, anxiety), cognition (narrowed attention) and motivation (self-protection). These influence consumer responses across self-regulation, social behavior/identity, information processing, evaluation and prosocial/sustainable behaviors. The framework identifies boundary conditions moderating these effects. The framework advances understanding of disease threats’ influence on consumer behavior and suggests future research directions, including contextual effects and individual differences. The framework helps marketers predict consumer responses to disease cues, offering insights for marketing strategies during health crises and normal times. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper provides the first comprehensive framework explaining disease cues’ systematic influence on consumer behavior through psychological changes, extending behavioral immune system theory into consumer domains. Read More