ABSTRACT
When making a purchase decision, consumers differ with respect to two basic motivational orientations: Some consumers attempt to maximize their benefits and to realize their ideals, others are more concerned with avoiding a negative outcome. For example, imagine that you intend to purchase a mobile phone. In thinking about your decision, you may consider whether the mobile phone is equipped with the newest technology and has an appealing design, or you may wonder whether the product falls short of your expectations and the purchase could be a serious mistake. Recent research in social cognition has shown that these different orientations have far-reaching consequences on judgments and information processing.
