Classical Conditioning: Classical Yet Modern

This manuscript is part of a special issue to commemorate professor Paul Eelen, who passed away on August 21, 2016. Paul was a clinically oriented scientist, for whom learning principles (Pavlovian or operant) were more than salivary responses and lever presses. His expertise in learning psychology and his enthusiasm to translate this knowledge to clinical practice inspired many inside and outside academia. Several of his original writings were in the Dutch language. Instead of editing a special issue with contributions of colleagues and friends, we decided to translate a selection of his manuscripts to English to allow wide access to his original insights and opinions. Even though the manuscripts were written more than two decades ago, their content is surprisingly contemporary. The present manuscript was originally published as part of a Liber Amicorum for Paul Eelen’s own supervisor, prof. Joseph Nuttin. In this chapter, Paul Eelen presents a modern view on Pavlovian learning. It appeared in 1980, at the heyday of cognitive psychology which initially dismissed conditioning. Paul Eelen’s perseverance in presenting learning principles as key to study human behaviour has proven correct and ahead of time. First published as: Eelen, P. (1980). Klassieke conditionering: Klassiek en toch modern. In Liber Amicorum, Prof. J. R. Nuttin, 'Gedrag, dynamische relatie en betekeniswereld' (pp. 321–343). Leuven: Universitaire Pers Leuven

Situated Consumer Behavior: The Impact of Bodily Influences on Consumer Behavior.

Ample scientific evidence points to the fact that people are influenced by contextual factors when making decisions. In the studies presented in this dissertation, I demonstrate how body feedback affects product evaluations and choices, and feelings of power. The underlying assumption is that the environment and bodily states are incorporated in consumer decision making. In the first essay, my co-authors and I demonstrate that easy-to-grasp products, as manipulated by the orientation of product handles, are more attractive than difficult-to-grasp products and investigate the context-dependency of simulating actions. In the second essay, we show that doing things differently increases novelty seeking among consumers. Finally, in our last essay we explore the different meanings of crossing the arms in front of the body and show that dependent on prior feelings of self-worth, arm crossing can reduce or increase feelings of power.

Consumer responses to creative advertising:a literature review

Purpose This chapter provides an overview of the state of knowledge about creative media advertising; choosing a novel medium that implicitly communicates the message. It explains what creative media advertising is and how it differs from other unconventional marketing communication formats. It addresses the theoretical mechanisms that explain how creative media affects consumers. Its final purpose is to review all the empirical findings about creative media advertising effects. Methodology/approach This chapter presents a systematic literature review of all the empirical research about creative media advertising that explicitly compares its effectiveness with traditional media advertising. The 11 reviewed articles with 16 experiments appeared between 2005 and 2015. Findings Overall creative media advertising generated positive evaluative outcomes (e.g., brand attitude) and behavior (e.g., word of mouth and sales). These effects were often mediated by a feeling of surprise and an increase in positive thoughts. It remains unclear whether creative media are perceived as persuasion attempts. Mixed findings exist for cognitive outcomes. Creative media advertising seems beneficial for creating strong brand associations, but brand memory might suffer from the technique if solving the link between the medium and the message takes away mental resources for the brand elements in the advertisement. Originality/value By reviewing all the literature about creative media advertising, the authors make recommendations for future research and for using creative media in practice. They emphasize potential boundary conditions and ideal circumstances of using creative media advertising