Delighted or Satisfied? Positive Emotional Responses Derived from Theme Park Experiences

ABSTRACT

This study uses cognitive appraisal theory (CAT) to explain why some visitors may be delighted and others satisfied having had similar experiences, as well as the respective effects of these two outcomes on revisit intentions. A survey (n = 645) of visitors to a theme parks showed that tourists’ different evaluations of their experience on certain appraisal dimensions proposed by CAT, such as the degree of goal realization, goal relevance, and novelty, led to either delight or satisfaction. Tourists’ level of loyalty intentions also varied systematically with their particular emotional response. These findings provide practitioners with an understanding of how to design favorable experiences for their customers.

KEYWORDS:

• Customer delight
• customer satisfaction
• cognitive appraisal theory
• loyalty intentions
• emotions
• hedonic consumption experience

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Shanghai Gaofeng & Gaoyuan Project for University Academic Program Development [grant number A-9103-15-065011].

Notes on contributors

Jianyu Ma

Jianyu Ma, [PhD], is a lecturer in the Department of Tourism Management, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China (E-mail: [email protected]).

Noel Scott

Noel Scott, [PhD], is a Professor at the Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222 Australia (E-mail: [email protected]).

Jun Gao

Jun Gao, [PhD], is a Professor at the Shanghai Institute of Tourism, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China (E-mail: [email protected]).

Peiyi Ding

Peiyi Ding, [PhD], is a research fellow in the Tourism Confucius Institute, Griffith University, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia (E-mail: [email protected]).