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研究生: 陶芮娜
Lacayo, Regina
論文名稱: 可愛作為安慰:情感依附在消費者應對全球不確定性中的作用
Cuteness as Comfort: The Role of Emotional Attachment in Consumer Responses to Global Uncertainty
指導教授: 裴素賢
Bae, So Hyun
學位類別: 碩士
Master
系所名稱: 管理學院 - 國際企業研究所
Institute of International Business
論文出版年: 2025
畢業學年度: 114
語文別: 英文
論文頁數: 59
中文關鍵詞: 全球不確定性可愛性情感依附購買意圖情感設計
外文關鍵詞: Global uncertainty, Cuteness, Emotional attachment, Purchase intention, Affective design
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  • 近年來,全球性的危機,如疫情、政治動盪與經濟波動,強化了人們對不確定性與情感脆弱感的體驗。在這樣的情況下,消費者愈來愈傾向於尋找能帶來安慰與心理慰藉的產品。本研究以嬰兒圖式理論(Lorenz, 1943)與依附理論(Thomson, MacInnis, & Park, 2005)為基礎,探討當人們面對全球不確定性時,產品設計中的可愛元素如何成為情感調適的線索。
    本研究採用 2(全球不確定性:不確定 vs. 確定)× 2(產品類型:可愛 vs. 非可愛)的組間實驗設計,共有 293 名參與者。研究目的在於檢驗全球不確定性如何透過情感依附影響購買意圖,以及此關係是否受到產品可愛性的調節。結果顯示,不確定性與可愛性在情感依附上存在顯著交互作用。具體而言,不確定性會降低對非可愛產品的情感依附,但對可愛產品則沒有顯著影響,顯示可愛設計能緩和不確定性帶來的負面情感效應。此外,情感依附對購買意圖具有正向影響,但不確定性透過情感依附影響購買意圖的間接效果僅在非可愛產品中達到顯著。
    整體而言,本研究有助於深化對視覺產品設計在不確定情境下如何影響情感經驗的理解。理論上,本研究擴展了情感設計與補償性消費的文獻,指出可愛性是一種能在消費者感到不確定時維繫情感連結的設計要素。管理上,本研究為品牌與設計師提供了實務啟示,說明如何運用具有溫暖與友善特質的視覺設計,協助消費者在不穩定的環境中獲得情感上的安定與投入。

    In recent years, global crises such as pandemics, political instability, and economic fluctuations have intensified individuals’ sense of uncertainty and emotional vulnerability. Under those conditions, consumers increasingly turn to products that provide a sense of comfort and psychological reassurance. Building on baby schema theory (Lorenz, 1943) and attachment theory (Thomson, MacInnis, & Park, 2005), this study explores how cuteness in product design can serve as an emotional coping cue when people face global uncertainty.
    A 2 (global uncertainty: uncertain vs. certain) × 2 (product cuteness: cute vs. non-cute) between-subjects experiment was run with 293 participants to examine how global uncertainty influences purchase intention through emotional attachment, and whether this relationship depends on product cuteness. Results showed a significant interaction between uncertainty and product cuteness on emotional attachment. Specifically, uncertainty reduced attachment for non-cute products but not for cute ones, indicating that cute design features help preserve emotional connection during uncertain moments. Moreover, emotional attachment significantly predicted purchase intention, although the indirect effect of uncertainty on purchase intention through attachment was significant only for non-cute products.
    In general, these findings contribute to a better understanding of how visual product design influences emotional experiences under uncertainty. Theoretically, the study extends research on affective design and compensatory consumption by identifying cuteness as an element that stabilizes emotional connection when consumers feel uncertain. From a managerial perspective, it provides practical insights for brands and designers on how to use visual warmth and friendly design features to support consumers’ emotional comfort and engagement in unstable environments.

    ABSTRACT I 摘要 II TABLE OF CONTENTS IV LIST OF TABLES V LIST OF FIGURES VI CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER TWO THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 5 2.1 Global uncertainty and emotional response 5 2.2 Cuteness as a psychological and symbolic construct 6 2.3 Emotional attachment in consumer psychology 7 CHAPTER THREE HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT 9 3.1 Global uncertainty and purchase intention for cute products 9 3.2 The mediating role of Emotional attachment 11 3.3 Research Model 13 CHAPTER FOUR RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 14 4.1 Research design overview 14 4.2 Study 15 4.3 Measurement items 18 4.3.1 Demographic measurement 20 4.4 Methodology 20 4.4.1 Descriptive Statistics and Reliability Test 21 4.4.2 One-Way ANOVA 21 4.4.3 Two-Way ANOVA 21 4.4.4 PROCESS Macro 22 CHAPTER FIVE RESEARCH RESULTS 23 5.1 Data Collection 23 5.2 Characteristics of respondents 23 5.3 Descriptive Statistics and Reliability Test 27 5.4 Hypothesis testing 29 CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION 36 6.1 General Discussion 36 6.2 Theoretical Contributions 38 6.3 Managerial Implications 40 6.4 Limitations and Future Research 42 REFERENCES 45 APPENDIX 50 Appendix 1: Stimuli in the study 50

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