More importantly, this relationship could be explained via the mediated effects of awe, problem-focused coping, and social norm compliance. The results of structural equation modeling showed that COVID-19 involvement was positively related to the preference for utilitarian products (vs. We collected data from 512 Chinese participants (319 women average age 29.11 years SD = 11.89) during the outbreak of COVID-19. Drawing on the theory of awe that highlights the important role in influencing human behaviors when they are facing unexpected events that transcends the frame of existing references, the present research aims to clarify the relationship between COVID-19 involvement and consumer preference for utilitarian versus hedonic products.
However, the questions of whether and why being involved in a public health emergency like the COVID-19 crisis could modify consumer behaviors have been underexplored by previous literature. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis continues to worsen globally, there exists a widespread enthusiasm for buying utilitarian products in the retail market, irrespective of culture or nationality.
