A Field Study of Causal Inferences and Consumer Reaction: The View from the Airport

Abstract

A field study was conducted at an airport to examine the relationships among attributions, affects, and behavioral responses of consumers experiencing a product failure. Ninety-seven passengers on delayed flights were interviewed about their attributions for the delay, their affective reactions, the importance of on-time arrival, their propensity to complain about the problem, and their desire to fly the same airline again. A path analysis indicates that attributions had not only direct effects on desire to complain about the problem and to fly the same airline, but also indirect effects, mediated by anger at the airline.