Spinning fantasies into consumer attitudes : a fantasy realization perspective of attitude formatio

Abstract

Fantasy Realization Theory (Oettingen 1996) states that people can dwell on their negative reality, fantasize about a positive future, or mentally compare each. When individuals mentally compare, commitment to the goal of achieving their fantasy is influenced by expectations for goal attainability. Consistent with the attitude literature, such expectations can be influenced by the quality of arguments within an advertisement. Merging these ideas, we predicted and found that participants' attitudes toward purchasing a car were influenced by the quality of arguments presented in an advertisement for a car dealership, but only if they mentally compared fantasies and reality.