Ann Kronrod - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Ann Kronrod
ACR North American Advances, 2013
Acta psychologica, 2021
How do embodied states influence the inferences people make about the meaning that is intended by... more How do embodied states influence the inferences people make about the meaning that is intended by communicators? We propose that embodied states encourage mental representation of certain meanings while inhibiting others, thereby facilitating or hindering comprehension in social interactions and potentially causing miscommunication. Four experiments demonstrate that bodily postures incompatible with the intended meaning of a sentence attenuated inferences of those meanings, especially when the intended meaning was not articulated directly and required more extensive inference-making effort. Participants were faster at responding to sentences containing verbs inferring a sitting position when they were sitting than when they were standing, and vice versa. Participants were also more likely to interpret the intended meaning of sentences as relevant to sitting when participants were themselves sitting, and relevant to standing when participants were standing. These outcomes were especi...
Advances in Computing Research, 2016
ACR North American Advances, 2014
ACR North American Advances, 2017
ACR North American Advances, 2016
We first develop a theory linking cognition to language and suggest that people who recount an au... more We first develop a theory linking cognition to language and suggest that people who recount an authentic experience use language that expresses episodic memory of past events. Conversely, when telling about something they have not experienced, people rely on semantic memory, which comprises words and concepts associated with the topic. We next propose that retrieving information from different types of memory can lead to differences in the language people use in these two situations. We hypothesize based on literature linking cognition and language that fake product reviews will employ less concrete language and will use fewer low-frequency words.
ACR North American Advances, 2016
ACR North American Advances, 2015
In search of effective ways to encourage consumers to follow desired behaviors such as healthy ea... more In search of effective ways to encourage consumers to follow desired behaviors such as healthy eating, recycling, or financial planning, marketers sometimes use praise (e.g., “You are doing great”) and sometimes use scolding (e.g., “You are not doing enough”). However, the effectiveness of each approach in triggering behavior is not clear. A possible reason for the mixed results in this area is that it is not only what one says that matters but also how one says it: praising and scolding can be performed with a more or less assertive tone. This research introduces assertiveness as a moderator that can explain when praising or scolding would be more effective. Two field experiments in the context of hand hygiene and financial planning demonstrate that when communicators praise consumers, an assertive tone may be more effective in encouraging behavior, whereas scolding requires a nonassertive tone. The authors then replicate these field findings in a controlled laboratory experiment, which also provides click rates as an actual behavioral outcome.
When developing a new brand name, similarity of the new brand name to an existing brand name may ... more When developing a new brand name, similarity of the new brand name to an existing brand name may affect perceptions of the new brand name. However, marketers typically have little guidance on the optimal level of similarity versus originality. Based on linguistic theory, we develop a method to determine this optimal level. In four experiments, we examine the phonetic similarity of a company’s new brand names to the company’s original brand name, implementing a highly controlled methodology based on linguistic rules. When pre-existing attitudes towards a company are positive, an inverted U-shaped pattern is observed in brand name attitudes, such that moderate levels of phonetic similarity are preferred over closer or more distant levels of phonetic similarity. When pre-existing attitudes towards a company are negative, an opposite, U-shaped pattern is observed, such that moderate levels of phonetic similarity are less preferred over closer or more distant levels of phonetic similarit...
Consumers in stressful service contexts, including service failures, report lower (higher) magnit... more Consumers in stressful service contexts, including service failures, report lower (higher) magnitudes of negative (positive) emotions and more favorable attitudes toward the service employee, service experience, and the brand when paired with opposite-gender service employees. Consumers' gender-based expertise bias and perceived treatment meted out by employees are examined as moderators.
ACR North American Advances, 2011
Psychology & Health
OBJECTIVE There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of various tones of communication ... more OBJECTIVE There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of various tones of communication in modifying health behaviours. We examine the moderating role of assertiveness in the effect of positive/negative language on emotional responses (optimism, self-efficacy, and guilt), and resulting preventive health behaviours. DESIGN Three experiments were employed. An online experiment tests the relationship between positive/negative language and assertiveness when people communicate about healthful eating. Next, a field study examines the moderating effect of assertiveness in positive and negative language encouraging using sunscreen among street passers-by. Third, an online study explores whether the effect of assertiveness in positive and negative messages on hand-washing intentions is mediated by increased optimism and self-efficacy, and decreased guilt, respectively. RESULTS Positive language increases compliance when expressed assertively because the assertive tone emphasises optimism and self-efficacy. Conversely, negative communication is more effective when expressed non-assertively, because of the replenishing effect of the gentler tone on the guilt evoked by the negative communication. CONCLUSION Assertiveness serves as an intensifier of what is being communicated. When considering whether to employ positive or negative language in health messaging, assertiveness should be considered as part of the design of effective health communication strategies leading to health promoting behaviour change.
Health Communication
The link between poor diet and poor health is well-known. Nevertheless, 90% of Americans are not ... more The link between poor diet and poor health is well-known. Nevertheless, 90% of Americans are not meeting current dietary guidelines, avoiding nutrient dense foods like vegetables, and opting for high-calorie foods. One of the reasons for this behavior is that healthy options are often considered less enjoyable, compared with less healthy options. Addressing this issue, the current work tests the effectiveness of a novel approach to encourage consumption of healthier options. We explore the effectiveness of using figurative language (e.g., rhyme, metaphor) in naming food items on preference for these items. Research shows that figurative language induces pleasure and perceived enjoyment. Relying on this research, we propose that naming food figuratively will increase anticipated enjoyment with that food, as well as preference for that food. We tested this prediction in a large-scale field experiment at a university dining hall. We found that giving vegetable dishes figurative names (Tree of Life) significantly increased preference for those dishes, compared with literal names (Steamed Broccoli). A follow-up online experiment provided additional evidence in support of this assertion, demonstrating a preference for low-calorie menu options when they were named figuratively, and higher anticipated enjoyment with these options. The findings support the use of figurative language in naming healthy food dishes to influence food choice. The results also provide a psychological explanation for the effectiveness of figurative language in health communication.
Journal of Marketing Research
Every day, consumers share word of mouth (WOM) on how products and behaviors are commonly adopted... more Every day, consumers share word of mouth (WOM) on how products and behaviors are commonly adopted through the use of consensus language. Consensus language refers to words and expressions that suggest general agreement among a group of people regarding an opinion, product, or behavior (e.g., “everyone likes this movie”). In a series of online and field experiments, the authors demonstrate that the interpretation and persuasiveness of consensus language depends on the tie strength between the communicator and the receiver of WOM. Although abundant literature highlights the advantage of strong ties (e.g., close friends, family) in influence and persuasion, the authors find that weak ties (e.g., distant friends, acquaintances) are more influential than strong ties when using consensus language. The authors theorize and demonstrate that this effect occurs because weak ties evoke perceptions of a larger and more diverse group in consensus, which signals greater validity for the issue at ...
Journal of Advertising
Conveying the environmental friendliness of a product is both crucial and challenging. One effici... more Conveying the environmental friendliness of a product is both crucial and challenging. One efficient way to overcome this challenge is by using brand names as a way to signal environmental friendliness. Linking research in sound symbolism and metaphor cognition, the current research suggests that silent consonants in brand names (e.g., Etopal), compared to voiced consonants (e.g., Edopal), are more effective in conveying environmental friendliness. A series of four studies conducted online and in the field show that brands with silent consonants are perceived as more environmentally friendly than voiced brand names because silent consonants in brand names convey human characteristics that are metaphorically associated with environmental friendliness (e.g., good-heartedness, humility). Marketing implications for green product branding and directions for future research are discussed.
ACR North American Advances, 2013
Acta psychologica, 2021
How do embodied states influence the inferences people make about the meaning that is intended by... more How do embodied states influence the inferences people make about the meaning that is intended by communicators? We propose that embodied states encourage mental representation of certain meanings while inhibiting others, thereby facilitating or hindering comprehension in social interactions and potentially causing miscommunication. Four experiments demonstrate that bodily postures incompatible with the intended meaning of a sentence attenuated inferences of those meanings, especially when the intended meaning was not articulated directly and required more extensive inference-making effort. Participants were faster at responding to sentences containing verbs inferring a sitting position when they were sitting than when they were standing, and vice versa. Participants were also more likely to interpret the intended meaning of sentences as relevant to sitting when participants were themselves sitting, and relevant to standing when participants were standing. These outcomes were especi...
Advances in Computing Research, 2016
ACR North American Advances, 2014
ACR North American Advances, 2017
ACR North American Advances, 2016
We first develop a theory linking cognition to language and suggest that people who recount an au... more We first develop a theory linking cognition to language and suggest that people who recount an authentic experience use language that expresses episodic memory of past events. Conversely, when telling about something they have not experienced, people rely on semantic memory, which comprises words and concepts associated with the topic. We next propose that retrieving information from different types of memory can lead to differences in the language people use in these two situations. We hypothesize based on literature linking cognition and language that fake product reviews will employ less concrete language and will use fewer low-frequency words.
ACR North American Advances, 2016
ACR North American Advances, 2015
In search of effective ways to encourage consumers to follow desired behaviors such as healthy ea... more In search of effective ways to encourage consumers to follow desired behaviors such as healthy eating, recycling, or financial planning, marketers sometimes use praise (e.g., “You are doing great”) and sometimes use scolding (e.g., “You are not doing enough”). However, the effectiveness of each approach in triggering behavior is not clear. A possible reason for the mixed results in this area is that it is not only what one says that matters but also how one says it: praising and scolding can be performed with a more or less assertive tone. This research introduces assertiveness as a moderator that can explain when praising or scolding would be more effective. Two field experiments in the context of hand hygiene and financial planning demonstrate that when communicators praise consumers, an assertive tone may be more effective in encouraging behavior, whereas scolding requires a nonassertive tone. The authors then replicate these field findings in a controlled laboratory experiment, which also provides click rates as an actual behavioral outcome.
When developing a new brand name, similarity of the new brand name to an existing brand name may ... more When developing a new brand name, similarity of the new brand name to an existing brand name may affect perceptions of the new brand name. However, marketers typically have little guidance on the optimal level of similarity versus originality. Based on linguistic theory, we develop a method to determine this optimal level. In four experiments, we examine the phonetic similarity of a company’s new brand names to the company’s original brand name, implementing a highly controlled methodology based on linguistic rules. When pre-existing attitudes towards a company are positive, an inverted U-shaped pattern is observed in brand name attitudes, such that moderate levels of phonetic similarity are preferred over closer or more distant levels of phonetic similarity. When pre-existing attitudes towards a company are negative, an opposite, U-shaped pattern is observed, such that moderate levels of phonetic similarity are less preferred over closer or more distant levels of phonetic similarit...
Consumers in stressful service contexts, including service failures, report lower (higher) magnit... more Consumers in stressful service contexts, including service failures, report lower (higher) magnitudes of negative (positive) emotions and more favorable attitudes toward the service employee, service experience, and the brand when paired with opposite-gender service employees. Consumers' gender-based expertise bias and perceived treatment meted out by employees are examined as moderators.
ACR North American Advances, 2011
Psychology & Health
OBJECTIVE There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of various tones of communication ... more OBJECTIVE There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of various tones of communication in modifying health behaviours. We examine the moderating role of assertiveness in the effect of positive/negative language on emotional responses (optimism, self-efficacy, and guilt), and resulting preventive health behaviours. DESIGN Three experiments were employed. An online experiment tests the relationship between positive/negative language and assertiveness when people communicate about healthful eating. Next, a field study examines the moderating effect of assertiveness in positive and negative language encouraging using sunscreen among street passers-by. Third, an online study explores whether the effect of assertiveness in positive and negative messages on hand-washing intentions is mediated by increased optimism and self-efficacy, and decreased guilt, respectively. RESULTS Positive language increases compliance when expressed assertively because the assertive tone emphasises optimism and self-efficacy. Conversely, negative communication is more effective when expressed non-assertively, because of the replenishing effect of the gentler tone on the guilt evoked by the negative communication. CONCLUSION Assertiveness serves as an intensifier of what is being communicated. When considering whether to employ positive or negative language in health messaging, assertiveness should be considered as part of the design of effective health communication strategies leading to health promoting behaviour change.
Health Communication
The link between poor diet and poor health is well-known. Nevertheless, 90% of Americans are not ... more The link between poor diet and poor health is well-known. Nevertheless, 90% of Americans are not meeting current dietary guidelines, avoiding nutrient dense foods like vegetables, and opting for high-calorie foods. One of the reasons for this behavior is that healthy options are often considered less enjoyable, compared with less healthy options. Addressing this issue, the current work tests the effectiveness of a novel approach to encourage consumption of healthier options. We explore the effectiveness of using figurative language (e.g., rhyme, metaphor) in naming food items on preference for these items. Research shows that figurative language induces pleasure and perceived enjoyment. Relying on this research, we propose that naming food figuratively will increase anticipated enjoyment with that food, as well as preference for that food. We tested this prediction in a large-scale field experiment at a university dining hall. We found that giving vegetable dishes figurative names (Tree of Life) significantly increased preference for those dishes, compared with literal names (Steamed Broccoli). A follow-up online experiment provided additional evidence in support of this assertion, demonstrating a preference for low-calorie menu options when they were named figuratively, and higher anticipated enjoyment with these options. The findings support the use of figurative language in naming healthy food dishes to influence food choice. The results also provide a psychological explanation for the effectiveness of figurative language in health communication.
Journal of Marketing Research
Every day, consumers share word of mouth (WOM) on how products and behaviors are commonly adopted... more Every day, consumers share word of mouth (WOM) on how products and behaviors are commonly adopted through the use of consensus language. Consensus language refers to words and expressions that suggest general agreement among a group of people regarding an opinion, product, or behavior (e.g., “everyone likes this movie”). In a series of online and field experiments, the authors demonstrate that the interpretation and persuasiveness of consensus language depends on the tie strength between the communicator and the receiver of WOM. Although abundant literature highlights the advantage of strong ties (e.g., close friends, family) in influence and persuasion, the authors find that weak ties (e.g., distant friends, acquaintances) are more influential than strong ties when using consensus language. The authors theorize and demonstrate that this effect occurs because weak ties evoke perceptions of a larger and more diverse group in consensus, which signals greater validity for the issue at ...
Journal of Advertising
Conveying the environmental friendliness of a product is both crucial and challenging. One effici... more Conveying the environmental friendliness of a product is both crucial and challenging. One efficient way to overcome this challenge is by using brand names as a way to signal environmental friendliness. Linking research in sound symbolism and metaphor cognition, the current research suggests that silent consonants in brand names (e.g., Etopal), compared to voiced consonants (e.g., Edopal), are more effective in conveying environmental friendliness. A series of four studies conducted online and in the field show that brands with silent consonants are perceived as more environmentally friendly than voiced brand names because silent consonants in brand names convey human characteristics that are metaphorically associated with environmental friendliness (e.g., good-heartedness, humility). Marketing implications for green product branding and directions for future research are discussed.