Notes on Aaker and Lee (2001) – Self-Regulatory Goal Compatibility and Consumer Persuasion

Main Topic or Phenomenon Addressed

This paper investigates how self-regulatory goals (promotion vs. prevention focus) influence information processing and persuasion, moderated by the accessibility of different self-views (independent vs. interdependent). The core phenomenon is the matching effect between regulatory focus and self-construal on persuasive effectiveness.

Core Theoretical Construct or Framework

The paper integrates two major theoretical frameworks:

1. Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1997): Distinguishes between promotion goals (achieving positive outcomes, advancement, aspirations) and prevention goals (avoiding negative outcomes, security, responsibilities)

2. Self-Construal Theory: Independent self-view (seeing oneself as distinct from others) vs. interdependent self-view (seeing oneself as connected to others)

The key theoretical proposition is that independent self-construal aligns with promotion focus, while interdependent self-construal aligns with prevention focus, creating goal compatibility effects on persuasion.

Key Findings

1. Goal Compatibility Effect: Individuals are more persuaded when message framing matches their accessible self-view and corresponding regulatory focus

   • Independent self + promotion-focused messages = greater persuasion
   • Interdependent self + prevention-focused messages = greater persuasion

2. Processing Mechanism: Goal compatibility leads to more central/systematic processing, evidenced by:

   • Better recall for goal-compatible information
   • Greater discrimination between strong vs. weak arguments under goal compatibility
   • Persistence of effects over time (2-week follow-up)

3. Cultural and Situational Malleability: Self-views can be both chronically accessible (cultural) and temporarily activated (situational primes), with similar effects across conditions

4. Argument Strength Moderation: Goal compatibility effects are strongest with strong arguments and may reverse with weak arguments

Boundary Conditions and Moderators

1. Argument Strength: The goal compatibility effect is enhanced with strong arguments but diminished or reversed with weak arguments

2. Cultural Context: Effects replicated across US (individualistic) and Hong Kong/China (collectivistic) samples, though effect sizes varied

3. Chronic vs. Temporary Accessibility: Both culturally nurtured (chronic) and situationally primed (temporary) self-views produce similar effects, with temporary accessibility often overriding chronic tendencies

4. Self-View Consistency: Strongest effects occur when situational prime aligns with culturally encouraged self-view (additive effect)

Building on Previous Work

Extensions of Prior Research:

• Extends regulatory focus theory from basic psychology to consumer behavior contexts
• Goes beyond Lee, Aaker, & Gardner (2000) who showed goal compatibility affects importance ratings, by demonstrating actual persuasion effects
• Advances self-construal research by showing dynamic, situational activation rather than treating culture as static

Challenges to Previous Work:

• Challenges static view of culture by demonstrating malleability of self-construal within individuals
• Questions assumption that approach goals dominate consumer research by showing equal importance of avoidance goals

Methodological Contributions:

• Multiple operationalizations of constructs (cultural comparison, situational primes, different product categories)
• Process evidence through recall and argument strength studies

Major Theoretical Contribution

The paper’s primary theoretical contribution is demonstrating that higher-order self-regulatory goals serve as a bridge between self-concept and lower-order consumption goals. Specifically:

1. Integration of Self and Motivation: Shows how different self-views systematically relate to different motivational orientations in consumer contexts

2. Processing Mechanism: Identifies that goal compatibility enhances central processing, providing a clear mechanism for persuasion effects

3. Dynamic View of Culture: Demonstrates that cultural influences on consumer behavior are malleable and context-dependent rather than fixed

4. Goal Hierarchy Framework: Illustrates how higher-order goals (promotion/prevention) influence lower-order consumption decisions through enhanced processing of compatible information

Major Managerial Implications

1. Message Framing Strategy: Marketers should align message framing with target audience’s predominant self-construal

   • Use promotion-focused appeals (benefits, gains, achievements) for independent-oriented consumers
   • Use prevention-focused appeals (safety, security, avoiding problems) for interdependent-oriented consumers

2. Cultural Adaptation: International marketing campaigns should consider cultural differences in self-construal when developing message strategies

3. Situational Context: Marketing communications can temporarily activate different self-views through contextual cues (individual vs. group imagery, language)

4. Argument Quality: Ensure strong, compelling arguments especially when using goal-compatible appeals, as these will receive greater scrutiny

5. Long-term Brand Building: Goal-compatible messages create more persistent attitudes and stronger brand affinity, suggesting better ROI for properly matched communications

Reference

Aaker, Jennifer L. and Angela Y. Lee (2001), “‘I’ Seek Pleasures and ‘We’ Avoid Pains: The Role of Self-Regulatory Goals in Information Processing and Persuasion,” Journal of Consumer Research, 28 (1), 33–49.