Loosening the Imaginary Purse Strings – The Bolstering Mindset

Resistance is defined as the ability to withstand a persuasion attempt (McGuire, 1964). The “bolstering mindset” erodes resistance and makes consumers more vulnerable to persuasive appeals. This mindset occurs when cognitive procedures associated with generating supporting arguments are carried over and enacted in an unrelated, future situation. The misappropriation of these cognitive procedures when evaluating subsequently encountered persuasive appeals is found to promote more favourable advert/product evaluations. The current research is the first known replication of the bolstering mindset. The research extends the work of Xu and Wyer (2012) by demonstrating that the bolstering mindset can increase an individual’s willingness to pay. Importantly, the study also demonstrates that individuals exhibiting strong approach motivation are especially vulnerable to the effects of the bolstering mindset. These findings have important implications for both consumers and marketers.