大家都喜欢“笑脸”吗？产品表情对消费者的影响研究

‘Facial expressions’ can be frequently found in products. For some consumers, product ‘face’ is an important factor in determining product value and hence a vital factor that sways the purchase decision. The majority of researchers believe that negative product facial expressions such as ‘aggressiveness’ or ‘scorn’ are negatively related to customer attitude and behavior. But in reality, negative faces may be deemed as ‘cool’, or ‘competent’. Up till now, researches regarding the paradoxical effect of anthropomorphized expression remain scarce, and the existing work on social communication between authentic humans cannot be used to explain personified products without adaptation and testing. .Based on Autonomy Theory, as well as other works from communication studies, linguistics and marketing, this research proposes to solve 3 questions: 1. What are the basic categories of product facial expressions and what can they do; 2. What is the psychological mechanism underneath such effect; and 3. Will variables such as product type and customer characteristics moderate the effect of product facial expressions? The results of the current research can be used to expand the theory of personification in marketing, and to guide product managers in choosing the appropriate design according to their target customers and the products they try to promote.

产品的“表情”会影响到消费者对产品的感知和判断。以往研究大多聚焦于产品正面表情对消费者的积极影响，认为如“侵略性”以及“蔑视”等负面表情不利于消费者与产品的互动。但是实践中的诸多案例却表明，持负面表情的产品在某些情况下反而会被消费者感知为“酷”，正面表情的产品却会被认为“软弱”、“无能”。营销领域的产品拟人化研究鲜少关注这种产品正负表情的“错位”影响。尽管人际互动领域有研究探讨过社会性表情的复杂性，但是这些结论对于拟人化产品是否适用尚待验证。.本项目以自治理论以及构建水平理论为基础，结合营销、沟通等领域的研究成果，主要探讨以下三个问题：产品表情具体体现和市场效用；产品表情对消费者行为和态度影响的心理机制；以及在产品表情的效用中，消费者和产品因素对产品表情的影响。本项目的研究成果将进一步拓展和丰富营销领域的拟人化研究；同时，本项目的预期结论也将从实践上为产品外观设计提供建议和指导。

表情是产品拟人化外观设计中重要元素。产品正面或负面的拟人化“表情”（表达正面或负面情感的表情）会影响到消费者对产品的感知。人际交往相关理论验证了正面表情对消费者的积极影响，并认为负面表情不利于消费者与产品的互动。但是在现实市场中我们却看到消费者有时却更喜爱展现负面表情的产品，营销领域的产品拟人化研究鲜有关注到产品表情的错位影响。具体而言，在拟人化营销研究领域，以下三个研究问题尚待探讨：产品表情有怎样的具体体现及市场效用；产品表情对消费者行为和态度影响的心理机制为何；以及来自于消费者特质和产品因素的调节效应。回答以上问题能够进一步拓展和丰富营销领域的拟人化理论，同时也将从实践上为产品外观设计提供建议和指导。本项目基本按照研究计划开展了研究活动。本课题组从2017年开始了拟人化表情的相关研究，并且随着研究的深入，将研究范围拓展至代言人表情，以及更大范畴的拟人化研究中。在项目过程中，项目主持人以第一作者身份发表论文共8篇，参加国家级学术会议4次，超额完成预期成果。