Is Happiness Shared Doubled and Sadness Shared Halved?: Social Influence on Enjoyment of Hedonic Experiences

Journal of Marketing Research, 2006

31 Pages Posted: 21 Nov 2006

See all articles by Rajagopal Raghunathan

Rajagopal Raghunathan

University of Texas at Austin - Red McCombs School of Business

Kim Corfman

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business; New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business

Abstract

Since many hedonic stimuli (e.g., movies, vacations, food, etc.) are consumed with others, it is important to know how social influence affects the enjoyment of shared experiences. Extrapolation from informational and normative influences suggests that enjoyment is enhanced when others offer positive opinions, and diminished when they offer negative opinions about shared stimuli. We propose an alternative model. Building on the need to belong (cf. Baumeister and Leary 1995) and the need for accuracy (cf. Trope 1975), we predict that enjoyment from sharing stimuli depends on consumer's perceived interpersonal agreement about the shared stimuli - with congruence of opinions enhancing, and incongruence diminishing, enjoyment of the shared experience. Results from three experiments support our predictions and indicate that, under some circumstances, social influence can operate in opposite directions on judgments of shared stimuli and on the enjoyment of sharing them.

Keywords: Social Influence, Experienced Utility

Suggested Citation

Raghunathan, Rajagopal and Corfman, Kim and Corfman, Kim, Is Happiness Shared Doubled and Sadness Shared Halved?: Social Influence on Enjoyment of Hedonic Experiences. Journal of Marketing Research, 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=946179

Rajagopal Raghunathan

University of Texas at Austin - Red McCombs School of Business ( email )

Austin, TX 78712
United States

Kim Corfman (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business ( email )

44 West 4th Street
Suite 9-160
New York, NY NY 10012
United States

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business ( email )

40 W. 4th St.
817 Tisch Hall
New York, NY
United States

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