Nicole M. Verrochi - PhD Student, Marketing, Wharton

Nicole M. Verrochi
PhD Candidate, Marketing

Emotion Regulation
Social Identity
Self-Regulation of Consumer-Brand Relationships

Dissertation Committee

    Patti Williams (Chair)
    Jonah Berger
    Eric Bradlow
    Americus Reed, II
    Deborah Small

Email: verrochn@wharton.upenn.edu

Research

Small, Deborah A. and Nicole M. Verrochi (2009), "The Face of Need: Facial Emotion Expression on Charity Advertisements,"Journal of Marketing Research, December, forthcoming.

Abstract: Advertisements for charities often display photographs of the people they help to evoke the kind of sympathy that engenders giving. This paper examines how the expression of emotion on a victim’s face affects both sympathy and giving. Building on theories of emotional contagion and sympathy the authors propose that (a) people “catch” the emotions displayed on a victim’s face and (b) they are particularly sympathetic and likely to donate when viewing sad expressions, relative to happy or neutral expressions. Consistent with emotional contagion, participants felt sadder when viewing a sad-faced victim, and their own sadness mediated the effect of emotion expression on sympathy. Contagion effects are automatic and non-inferential, but are diminished by deliberative thought. The implications of using subtle emotional expressions on charitable and other marketing appeals are discussed.
Verrochi, Nicole M., "Feeling like My Self: Emotion Regulation and Identity," Essay II of dissertation, University of Pennsylvania Working Paper. Job market paper.

Abstract: This research examines the connections between emotion and social identity. Specifically, this project theorizes that identities are associated with discrete emotions, and that these associations give rise to emotion profiles that describe appropriate emotional experiences for individuals with that active identity. The results establish that social identities have associations to specific emotions and that these associations differ between identities. Experiencing emotions consistent with the identity’s emotion profile enhances persuasion, as well as performance on an effortful task. Further experiments investigate whether individuals engage in emotion regulation to reduce (enhance) their experience of emotions which are inconsistent (consistent) with the identity’s emotion profile. Finally, consequences for the framing and positioning of identity-relevant products are drawn.
Verrochi, Nicole M. and Patti Williams, "Direct or Divert: Attention Deployment and Emotion Regulation," Essay I of dissertation, University of Pennsylvania Working Paper.

Abstract: While people often feel “ruled by their passions,” individuals can and do exert substantial control over their emotional experiences. A growing body of literature in psychology suggests that the various ways emotions are regulated can have considerable impact on both the emotional experience and other psychological processes (Gross and Thompson 2007). Building upon that literature, this paper examines attention deployment as an emotion regulation strategy. Specifically, it investigates the ways in which consumers shift their attention (e.g., diverting from versus directing attention toward emotional content) in order to manage their emotional experiences. Four studies are presented that document the foundational process of attention deployment, four more are proposed to further illuminate the effects of specific emotions and feeling rules as moderators. The intended contributions of this work are threefold: documenting a theorized but under-examined emotion regulation strategy, understanding whether certain emotion regulation strategies are more effective at managing specific emotions, and describing feeling rules as a motivation to engage in emotion regulation.
Verrochi, Nicole M., Deborah A. Small, Amy J. C. Cuddy, and Michael I. Norton, "Cross-Race Emotional Contagion," Data collection in progress.

Abstract: This research proposes a theory of emotional contagion reducing intergroup biases. We demonstrate that observers “catch” the emotion portrayed by an outgroup victim in a photograph, which then influences the obeserver’s felt sympathy and willingness to engage in helping behaviors. This work extends the existing literature on ingroup and outgroup relations and prosocial behavior in two ways: first, by demonstrating that emotional contagion can occur across group lines, despite evidence that cross-group emotion recognition is unreliable. Second, we extend the intergroup helping literature by demonstrating a method which mitigates outgroup biases with a simple photograph, rather than a more involving intervention such as the contact hypothesis (see, e.g., Tropp and Pettigrew 2005).
Verrochi, Nicole M., Patti Williams, and Gavan Fitzsimons, "Emotional Reactions to Stockouts," Data collection in progress.

Abstract: Stockouts have been conceived as reducing the satisfaction a consumer has with a given purchase decision, ultimately leading subsequent behaviors such as store- or brand-switching, complaints, and negative word-of-mouth. The present research demonstrates that the negative emotional reactions that consumers experience during a stockout predicts the type of punitive action taken. Specifically, consumers experience either anger or disappointment and each particular emotion induces distinct retaliatory behaviors: anger drives customers to “punish” the store by switching, while disappointed consumers are more passive, choosing to spread negative word-of-mouth. These distinct emotional reactions are then connected to the effectiveness of conciliatory actions taken by the stocked out store at mitigating negative consumer responses.
Verrochi, Nicole M., Americus Reed, II and Jennifer Tong, "Moral Identity and Attributions of Corporate Social Responsibility," Data collection in progress.

Abstract: Companies increasingly rely on corporate social responsibility (CSR) to garner goodwill and positive evaluations, yet little is understood about individual differences in consumers’ sensitivity to such efforts. Two studies demonstrate that differences in individuals’ Moral Identity reliably predict the attributions made about why a firm undertakes CSR efforts, which then predict firm evaluations. American participants’ scores on the Internalization dimension of moral identity, representing self-importance of moral behavior, predict their attributions. In contrast, Singaporean participants’ Symbolization scores, capturing social value of moral behavior predict those same attributions. This research represents an important step in understanding internal, consumer-specific drivers of CSR effectiveness.
Jha, Amishi P., and Nicole M. Verrochi, "Individual Differences in Emotion Regulation: Depression, Mindfulness, and Ego Resilience," two studies complete, target journal: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Abstract: This research examines the influence of individual differences on people’s ability to use attention deployment as an emotion regulation strategy. Three personality traits are of interest: depression, mindfulness, and ego resilience. We hypothesize that individuals high in depressive affect (measured by the CES-D) will be worse at utilizing attention shifts to control their emotional reactions than individuals low in depressive affect. In contrast, individuals high in mindfulness (a marker for diffuse attention control and presence within the moment) will be better at using attention shifts to control their emotions than individuals low in mindfulness. Finally, individuals high in ego resilience (the ability to bounce back from emotional trauma) will show a different pattern of attention shifts, whereby the attention shift immediately following a negative picture will be strong, but all subsequent identifications will not show an effect. In contrast, individuals low in ego resilience will show a prolonged impact from the negative picture, as they shift attention away and remain “traumatized” for a longer duration. Thus, these three individual differences show that attention shifts will vary based upon trait affect (depression), attention (mindfulness), and emotional durability (ego resilience). As there are interventions which can improve both mindfulness (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Therapy) and ego resilience, this research has implications for improving individuals’ ability to use attention deployment as a successful emotion regulation strategy.
Verrochi, Nicole M. and Americus Reed, II, "Self-Relevant Brand Alliances: When Do Consumers (Not) Fit?," Data collection in progress.
Verrochi, Nicole M. and Patti Williams, "Hardening my Heart: Emotion Regulation as a Persuasion Resistance Strategy," Data collection in progress.
Verrochi, Nicole M. and Amishi P. Jha, "Structural Bases of Emotion Regulation: Executive Control and Attention," Data collection in progress.
Verrochi, Nicole M. and Americus Reed, II, "Self Expression and Need for Reinforcement (SENSOR): A Dynamic Process of Relationship Regulation," Data collection in progress.
Link to site with some experimental stimuli: Stimuli Website

Contact information

    Email: verrochn@wharton.upenn.edu

    Office: 727.5 Jon M. Huntsman Hall

    Phone: (215) 898-4795
    Fax: (215) 898-2534

    Mailing address
    Suite 700, Jon M. Huntsman Hall
    3730 Walnut Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19104

Last updated September 15, 2009

Wharton Marketing Department     Wharton    University of Pennsylvania

Web Page by Nicole M. Verrochi

URL: http://kimchee.wharton.upenn.edu/verrochi