The role of affective expectations in memory for a service encounter

Affective expectations influence affective reactions at the time of an experience and when the individual reflects back on the episode. The study reported here investigates whether a consumer's uncertainty orientation explains how they use affective expectations. The results reveal that people with an internal locus of control continue to use their expectations after the event. Luck-oriented 'internals' selectively remember the facts to be expectation-consistent. Chance-oriented 'internals' reinterpret the facts to be more expectation-consistent. Affective expectations do not influence affective reactions after they are formed for consumers with an external locus of control. In fact, affective expectations have very little impact on the affective reactions of luck-oriented 'externals', even when they are initially formed. Implications for service settings are discussed. (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.