Dampening the warm glow of a visible brand logo: how positive affect influences the perceived value of status goods

High status is conducive to many pleasant outcomes in life, and people often desire status goods for the attention and respect that are given to those who have them. This research shows that positive affect decreases the extent to which people pursue the extrinsic consumption benefits that hinge on others’ approval, and attenuates the magnitude of value people normally place on the social signaling attributes. When target products feature socially visible status attributes (e.g., brand logo), positive affect dampens people’s normative valuation of the goods. When the status attributes are invisible to others, the dampening effect becomes insignificant. When the products are noted for intrinsic quality attributes, positive affect enhances the evaluation. Thus, positive affect has more nuanced and distinct, rather than general, effects on product evaluation. These results suggest that positive affect can naturally attenuate people’s desire for status goods that are normally pursued for their social signaling efficacy.