1. The Impact of Emotional
Intelligence:
Understanding Consumer
Behavior
Dr. Paula Zobisch, PhD – Ashford University
Dr. Andree C. Swanson, EdD – Ashford University
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2. Abstract
Emotional decisions are made daily by consumers.
The power and impact of emotion on the buying
process is an emerging field.
Marketers must turn from the traditional marketing
strategies based on cognitive abilities of the
consumer to also include the role of emotions in the
buying process.
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3. Abstract (Continued)
A review of literature on consumer behavior (CB)
and emotional intelligence (EI) is presented and a
summary of a baseline study on consumer behavior
and emotional intelligence is also presented.
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4. Literature Review
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5. Emotional Intelligence Defined
Personality
EQIQ
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6. Emotional Intelligence (EI) Defined
EI is the capacity to…
 perceive emotions,
 assimilate emotion-related feelings,
 understand the information of those
emotions
 manage them
(Mayer et al., 1999)
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7. EI = Ability or Trait
Ability
(Salovey & Mayer, 1990)
Trait Characteristics
Refer to emotional
intelligence as
something that can be
scored
Similar to IQ
EQ
(Bar-On, 2007)
Two schools of
thought on EI
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8. Is emotional intelligence
distinct from IQ?
 EI is located in a distinct
area of the brain
 Not just scholarly theory;
it is backed by science
(Cherniss & Goleman, 2001)
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9. Emotional Skills Assessment
Process (ESAP)
Emphasized …
a person-centered,
experiential
method of
considering any
situation
The ESAP stresses
that emotional
intelligence is a skill
that can be learned
and refined, much
different than EQ
(Nelson & Low, 2011)
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10. Synthezing Ability and ESAP
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11. Integrating the Five Domains of
Emotional Intelligence and the ESAP
Salovey and Mayer’s Five
Domains of Emotional
Intelligence
Nelson and Low’s Emotional Skills Assessment Process (ESAP)
Self-Awareness The actual process of assessing emotional skills; includes self-
monitoring
Managing Emotions Involves the stress management, assertion, anger management,
anxiety management, empathy, social awareness, and positive
change emotional skills
Motivating Self Involves the drive strength, decision making, time management,
commitment ethic, positive influence, self-esteem, and positive
change emotional skills
Empathy Involves the empathy, social awareness, self-esteem, assertion, and
positive influence emotional skills
Handling Relationships Involves the self-esteem, empathy, assertion, stress management,
anger management, anxiety management, positive influence, and
positive change emotional skills.Copyright © MSRP 2013

12. Integrating the Five Domains of
Emotional Intelligence and the ESAP
Salovey and Mayer’s Five
Domains of Emotional
Intelligence
Nelson and Low’s Emotional Skills Assessment Process (ESAP)
Self-Awareness The actual process of assessing emotional skills; includes self-
monitoring
Managing Emotions Involves the stress management, assertion, anger management,
anxiety management, empathy, social awareness, and positive
change emotional skills
Motivating Self Involves the drive strength, decision making, time management,
commitment ethic, positive influence, self-esteem, and positive
change emotional skills
Empathy Involves the empathy, social awareness, self-esteem, assertion, and
positive influence emotional skills
Handling Relationships Involves the self-esteem, empathy, assertion, stress management,
anger management, anxiety management, positive influence, and
positive change emotional skills.
Theory
Practical
application
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13. Nelson & Low (2011) stated…
“specific emotional skills are used to
understand and develop, on a practical
level, each of the five domains”
(Nelson & Low, 2011, p. 192)
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14. Use Emotional
Intelligence to Predict
Consumer Behavior
More literature exists suggesting emotions have a much greater
effect on consumer buying decisions than previously believed.
Scholars are divided on whether or not EI can be used to predict
buying behavior.
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15. Traditional Consumer Buying
Models
Traditional Consumer
Behavior Theory
Dismiss the role of
emotion when
making a buying
decision.
Contemporary Consumer
Behavior Theory
Found a correlation
between EI, impulse
buying, and self
esteem
(Peter & Krishnakumar, 2010)
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16. If Bar-On’s study is accurate…
 Emotionally intelligent
consumers do not react to
their emotions, but use their
EI to assess their current
level of emotions and are
able to make appropriate
choices.
(Bar-On, 2007)
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Contemporary Theory
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17. Consumer Emotional Intelligence
(CEI)
Consumer Emotional
Intelligence (CEI)
Recognized as a
combination of…
Cognitive
Emotions
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(Bell, 2011)
Contemporary Theory
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18. Types of Consumer Buying
Decisions
o Emotional Buying with no cognitive function
o “Low Road” – spontaneous, impulsive
o “High Road” – controlled decisions
o A decision made by an absence of
cognition, a completely emotional decision
(Shiv & Fedorikhin, 1999)Copyright © MSRP 2013

19. Impulse (Emotional Buying)
Consumer Buying
 Loud Music
 Distracting or loud
environment
 Engaging display
 Shorten waiting times
 Hedonic behavior
(Shiv & Fedorikhin, 1999)
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20. Affection towards a product?
 Do you ever buy
something based on
how you feel about
the…
Brand?
Color?
Style?
 Will you pay more or
less based on a
certain…
Brand?
Color?
Style?
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21. How do these make you
feel?
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22. Affection towards a product?
 People act "toward products and
services just as they do toward other
individuals or toward their pets" (p.
49).
 Pet owners would purchase the more
expensive medication for their pet
when the pet was held in higher
affection than when they were not.
Copyright 2013, Dr. Andree Swanson
(Hsed & Kunreather, 2000)
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23. Scholarship on the Topic
of EI and CB
Kidwell’s Dissertation and more
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24. Kidwell’s Dissertation Topic
Emotional Intelligence in
Consumer Behavior:
Ability, Confidence, and
Calibration as Predictors of
Performance
Kidwell et al. (2004)
focused on creating
an assessment to
measure emotional
ability when
shopping.
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25. Significance of the Study
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26. Potential Consequences of
Spending by Emotion
 Financial hardship
 Coping strategy
 Relationship difficulties
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27. Marketing Implications
 Marketers can use EI to segment the market and
communicate with a specific market segment
 EI & CB indicate marketers must move from
cognitive-based marketing strategies to include
more strategies that involve the whole person such
as emotion
 EI & CB can be used to predict impulse buying
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28. Ethical Considerations
 Do sales people and/or managers take advantage
of consumers through the use of emotions?
 Using emotional strategies on a market segment
least likely to use emotions for good buying
decisions
 Using the knowledge of EI & CB to sell to vulnerable
consumers with a low awareness of how emotions
affect their buying decisions
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29. Research Methodology
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30. Survey Methodology
 Conducted a baseline
(pilot) survey
 Used Survey Monkey
 Analyzed results
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31. Participants / Demographics
 Gathered 86
participants over
age 18 through
social media
 Linkedin
 Facebook
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32. Survey Results
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33. Heard of
Emotional
Intelligence
81 participants = YES
5 participants = NO
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34. Understanding
of EI
67 participants =
strongly agree or
agreed that they had an
understanding of EI
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35. Unplanned Purchase in Last
12 months
 86 out of 86
(100%)
participants had
unplanned
purchases!
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36. Unplanned purchases in last
12 months
Question 1-3 4-6 7-10 10-15 16 or
more
How many
unplanned
purchases
have you
made in
the last 12
months?
44
(51.2%)
20
(23.3%)
9
(10.5%)
4
(4.7%)
9
(10.5%)
Impulse behavior is a factor in affective consumer
decision making (Shiv & Fedorikhin, 1999).
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37. Limitations
 Difficulty with self-reporting
 No specific instrument accurately
measures (well… maybe the CEIS)
 Emotions can be used to persuade
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38. Future Research
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39. Future Research
 How do emotions influence the behavior of sales people?
 What role do emotions play in self regulation of each
individual consumer?
 How should emotions be measured in marketing?
 Accurate research instrument
 The development of a user-friendly assessment for
consumers to evaluate their effect of emotions on their
buying decisions.
 An emotional self-check
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40. Conclusion
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41. Conclusion
Buying decisions are influenced by
emotions
Degree of influence varies among
emotional intelligence, or the emotional
awareness of consumer
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42. Biographies
Dr. Paula Zobisch and Dr. Andree Swanson
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43. Dr. Paula Zobisch
 Assistant Professor, Ashford University
 Ph.D. Adult Education, Capella University; MBA emphasis in
Marketing, University of Central Oklahoma
 Director of Marketing and Major Accounts Sales Manager, 3M
Distributor, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1989 – 2007
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Copyright 2013, Dr. Paula Zobisch

44. Dr Andree Swanson
 Assistant Professor, Ashford University
 Adjunct Faculty, Kaplan University
 Ed.D. Educational Leadership, University of Phoenix
 MA, Organizational Management, University of Phoenix
 MHR, Human Relations, University of Oklahoma
 Worked as a Dean of General Education, National Training Manager, for
the US government (DoD, USAF, & USA), corporations, and higher
education.
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Copyright 2013, Dr. Andree Swanson

45. References
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46. References
 Bell, H. A. (2011, September). A contemporary framework for emotions in
consumer decision-making: Moving beyond traditional models. International
Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(17), 12-16. Retrieved from ProQuest
database.
 Cherniss, C., & Goleman, D. (2001). The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How
to Select For, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals,
Groups, and Organizations. New York, NY: Jossey-Bass.
 Hsee, C. K., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2000). The affection effect in insurance
decisions. Journal of
Risk and Uncertainty, 20(2), 141-159. Retrieved from ProQuest database.
 Kidwell, B., Brinberg, D., Parker, A., Nakamoto, K., Jewell, B., & Crawford, H.
(2004). Emotional Intelligence in consumer behavior: Ability, confidence, and
calibration as predictors of performance (Doctoral Dissertation). Available
from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05082004-
161747/unrestricted/Dissertation.pdf
 Kidwell, B., Hardesty, D. M., & Childers, T. L. (2008a). Consumer emotional
intelligence: Conceptualization, measurement, and the prediction of
consumer decision making. Advances in Consumer Research, 35, 660.
Retrieved from ProQuest database.
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47. References, Continued
 Kidwell, B., Hardesty, D. M., & Childers, T. L. (2008b, December). Emotional
calibration effects on consumer choice. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(4),
611-621. Retrieved from ProQuest database.
 Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2010). Marketing 3.0: From products to
customers to the human spirit. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
 Mayer, J., Caruso, D., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional Intelligence meets
traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27(4), 267-298. Retrieved
from ProQuest.
 Nelson, D., & Low, G. (2010). Emotional Intelligence: Achieving academic and
career excellence in college and in life. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall.
 Peter, P. C., & Krishnakumar, S. (2010). Emotional intelligence, impulse buying
and self-esteem: The predictive validity of two ability measures of emotional
intelligence. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(1), 154-166. Retrieved from
ProQuest database.
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48. References, Continued
 Ramanathan, S., & Menon, G. (2006, November). Time-varying effects of
chronic hedonic goals on impulsive behavior. Journal of Marketing
Research, XLIII, 628-641. Retrieved from ProQuest database.
 Ramanathan, S., & Shiv, B. (2001). Getting to the heart of the consumer: The
role of emotions and cognition (or the lack thereof) in consumer decision
making. Advances in Consumer Research, 28, 49-50. Retrieved from
ProQuest database.
 Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence, imagination,
cognition, and personality, 9, 185-211. Retrieved from
http://www.unh.edu/emotional_intelligence/EI%20Assets/Reprints...EI%20Pro
per/EI1990%20Emotional%20Intelligence.pdf
 Shiv, B., & Fedorikhin, A. (1999). Heart and mind in conflict: The interplay of
affect and cognition in consumer decision making. Journal of Consumer
Research, 26(3), 278-292. Retrieved from ProQuest database.
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49. https://www.surveymon
key.com/s/XCSCMMQ
SurveyMonkey.com
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