Feeling Good or Feeling Right: Sustaining Negative Emotion After Exposure to Human Suffering.

The article investigates how consumers regulate their emotions after exposure to moralized content, specifically human suffering, and how this influences their consumption choices. Contrary to traditional hedonic emotion regulation theories that suggest people seek to repair negative moods through pleasurable activities, the research finds that consumers often believe it is morally appropriate to sustain negative emotions following exposure to human suffering, leading them to avoid hedonic, mood-repairing consumption. This avoidance is mediated by perceptions of moral appropriateness and is stronger among individuals with higher self-perceived moral character; however, hedonic consumption that is morally relevant (e.g., promoting kindness) is viewed as more acceptable. The findings have implications for marketers and media practitioners regarding the timing and nature of hedonic content and advertising following exposure to suffering-related material.