Implications for Public Policy
The potentially limiting effect of hope on dissatisfaction has consequences for both the individual consumer and the marketplace as a whole. Insensitivity to product failure or the cataloging of a previous failure as a near-success may result in continued expenditures on useless products as well as disincentives for marketers to invest in significant product improvements.
In addition to the effects of hope on product evaluation, hope may also influence consumer choice. We examine two choice-relevant contexts: (1) the impact of advertised risks on choice and (2) consumption choices in the context of self-regulation.