A change in taste: The role of MicroRNAs in altering hedonic value

The mechanisms associated with neophobia, and anhedonia remain largely unknown. Neuropsychological disorders such as depression and schizophrenia are associated with excessive fear and anhedonia and have been linked to microRNA 137. We hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs) in the snail Lymnaea stagnalis are important for regulating feeding behaviour through either preventing neophobia or establishing hedonic value. To test these hypotheses, we used an injection of Poly-L-Lysine (PLL) to inhibit miRNA biogenesis and observed its effects on feeding behaviour. We repeated these experiments with pre-exposure to novel stimuli capable of eliciting neophobia to disentangle the processes predicted to regulate feeding behaviour. Next, we exposed snails to food stimuli of high hedonic value after PLL injection to reset their hedonic value for that food. Finally, we consolidated our results with previous research by examining the effect of PLL injection on a one trial appetitive classical conditioning procedure (1TT) to induce long term memory (LTM). We found that miRNAs are likely not required for preventing neophobia. Moreover, we discovered that snails experienced anhedonia in response to inhibition of miRNA biogenesis, resulting in diminished feeding behaviour for food stimuli with a previously high hedonic value. Snails showed diminished feeding behaviour for multiple food stimuli of high hedonic value post 1TT with PLL injection. This finding suggested that PLL causes anhedonia rather than an impairment of LTM formation following the 1TT procedure. This is the first evidence suggesting that inhibiting the biogenesis of miRNAs contributes to anhedonia in Lymnaea.

Exploring the Utilitarian and Hedonic Value Derived from Tourism Pre-experiences with Virtual Reality: Differences Between Destinations and Accommodations

The tourism industry is in a convulsive situation of great uncertainty. The recovery of the sector depends on boosting digitalization processes. In this sense, virtual reality represents an essential tool that can generate added value in the customer experience. This study analyzes the impact of virtual reality tourism pre-experiences on the utilitarian and hedonic value perceived by the customer. In addition, given the heterogeneity of tourism products and offers, it is proposed that the influence of virtual reality on the dimensions of perceived value will depend on whether the product is evaluated on an attribute basis (hotels) or holistically (destinations). The results will provide interesting implications for understanding and generating tourism experiences with high added value. Particularly, these results will be helpful for tourism managers to design effective virtual reality pre-experiences according to the features of the tourism products they are promoting, fostering the corresponding hedonic/utilitarian value in the tourist’s pre-experience.

Is it recession-proof? Masstige purchase intention: the moderating effect of perceived economic crisis

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of economic crisis on consumers’ masstige behavioural intention. The study examines the effects of uniqueness, hedonic value, conspicuous consumption and perceived quality on masstige purchase intention, and as well the moderating effect of perceived economic crisis. The study conducts the hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results show that uniqueness and hedonic values have significant influences on masstige purchase intention, while conspicuous consumption and perceived quality have no influence on masstige purchase intention. In addition, perceived economic crisis has no moderating effect on the relationship between uniqueness, hedonic value, conspicuous consumption, perceived quality and masstige purchase intention.

Purchase Motivation, Experiential Value Related to Continuance Intention to Purchase on China’s Double 11 Shopping Festival

As well as bringing convenience to consumers, online shopping also represents an enormous business opportunity. In online shopping, the Double 11 shopping festival (hereafter Double 11) organized by China’s Alibaba has set records and has continued to grow rapidly for the last 10 years. To understand this phenomenon, this study adapted self-determination theory to explore customers’ motivation and perceived values with respect to Double 11. This study focused on people who live in China who shopped during the China Double 11 Carnival Shopping Festival in 2018. A total of 399 validated data were collected and then confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation model was conducted. The results of the study show that purchase amotivation is not significantly related to, but extrinsic purchasing motivation is positively related to hedonic value and social value. Moreover, continuance intention to purchase can be positively predicted by hedonic value and social value. With a better understanding of these results, managers operating electronic businesses can use certain approaches to increase customers’ extrinsic motivation and enhance their experiential values to promote their continuance intention to purchase goods on a particular day, for example, by creating more shopping festivals.

RAMIFICATION OF ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS& HEDONIC VALUE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM ON IMPULSE BUYING FOR INDIAN STREET FOOD

This study investigated how online advertising via social media & hedonic value impact impulse buying especially for Indian street food. The current study is focused on college students to see how impulse buying takes place for Indian street food when online advertising via social media is being done. The current study is based on the sample of 460 responses from people of Gandhinagar &Ahmadabad, Gujarat. To investigate the mentioned aim data has been analyzed through a variance-based SEM approach. The result shows that there is a positive & significant impact of online advertisements on impulse buying among people for street food. The major contribution through current research is to highlight how a new market for Indian street food has emerged. It has gained popularity & position as a separate food junction at low prices with due thanks to social media. They are reaching at every corner & creating hedonic motivation among food lovers & taking them up-to-the buying level. The current study has realistic implications which show the growing value for marketing via social media. This study will help in understanding & promoting even a small food vending outlet across different geographical locations. This opens up new wings to marketing strategies in targeting new customers.

The effect of hedonic value, utilitarian value, and customer satisfaction in predicting repurchase intention and willingness to pay a price premium for smartwatch brands

The aim of this study is to examine the role of hedonic value (HV), utilitarian value (UV), and customer satisfaction (CS) in individuals' willingness to pay a price premium (WTP a price premium) and repurchase intention (RI) to smartwatches. This study is unique and important as it only deals with smartwatches, unlike other studies on wearable technology products that often focus on the general situation. The research sample includes smartwatch users aged 18 years and above. An online survey was used to collect research data from 420 people identified using the convenience sampling method. After checking the missing values, 401 valid surveys were retained for further analysis. Hypotheses were analysed using the Structural Equation Modelling. The research findings revealed strong relationships between HV and UV and CS. HV and UV were found to positively affect the CS. The results showed that CS also had a positive influence on both WTP a price premium and RI.

Relationship between Peer Influence and Gamer’s Satisfaction in Purchasing Virtual Items for Online Mobile Games: Mediating Role of Hedonic Value

Gaming has long been an interest of studies in the behaviour of youngsters. In particular, game players are spending increasing amount of expenses in purchasing gaming related items. Why mobile game players would purchase virtual items for their games? The aim of this study is to examine the mediating effect of hedonic value to the relationship between peer influence and gamer’s satisfaction. Anonymous questionnaire was used to collect data through a survey website. A total of 126 valid responses were collected in the survey. Data collected were first analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, and the conceptual framework was then examined by using the structural equation modelling. Results revealed that there exists a mediating effect of hedonic value on the relationship between peer influence and gamer’s satisfaction. They provide valuable insights to game developers and marketers on how to enhance gamer’s satisfaction by peer influence through enhancement of hedonic value.

How users' perceived prosumption activities influence co-creation experiences and co-creation intentions?

PurposeThe paper aims to explore how perceived prosumer content quality (PPCQ) and perceived interaction quality (PIQ) improve users' co-creation experiences and subsequently influence their co-creation intentions in the future. In addition, the paper examines users' prosumer ability into consideration.Design/methodology/approachThe research model based on stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) paradigm is developed to observe users' participation in value co-creation activities. In total, 318 valid responses were collected from a survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the model and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) PROCESS macro (Model 58) by Hayes was applied to investigate the moderating effect of prosumer ability in mediation paths.FindingsIt is observed that co-creation intention is determined by user-learning value, social-integrative value and hedonic value, which are influenced by PPCQ and PIQ. Besides, uses' prosumer ability moderates the indirect effects of PPCQ and PIQ on co-creation intentions through co-creation experiences.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides a prosumption perspective to explain users' co-creation intentions in social commerce and proposes the importance of user-learning, social-integrative and hedonic values in determining co-creation intentions.Practical implicationsSocial commerce platforms can encourage prosumption activities and cultivate multi-level prosumers to achieve a win–win situation.Originality/valueLittle prior research has explicitly examined how and why users participate in value co-creation activities in social commerce from prosumption perspective. The current paper seeks to fill this gap and open new avenues for other value co-creation researchers.

VTA-IC dopaminergic inputs enhances the salience to consolidate aversive but not appetitive taste recognition memory via D1 receptors

Taste memory involves storing information through plasticity changes in the neural network of taste, including the insular cortex (IC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), a critical provider of dopamine. Although a VTA-IC dopaminergic pathway has been demonstrated, its role to consolidate taste recognition memory remains poorly understood. We found that photostimulation of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA or VTA-IC dopaminergic terminals of TH-Cre mice increases the salience to facilitate consolidation of a novel taste stimulus regardless of its hedonic value, without altering their taste palatability. Importantly, the inhibition of the D1-like receptor into the IC impairs the salience to facilitate consolidation of an aversive taste recognition memory. Finally, our results showed that VTA photostimulation improves the salience to facilitate consolidation of a conditioned taste aversion memory through the D1-like receptor into the IC. It is concluded that the dopamine activity from the VTA into IC is required to increase the salience to facilitate consolidation of a taste recognition memory. Notably, the D1-like receptor activity into the IC is required to consolidate both innate and learned aversive taste memories but not appetitive taste memory.