Consumer resistance to, and acceptance of, innovations

This paper presents a new framework for thinking about consumer decision making with respect to innovations. Based on research in the psychology of action, a comprehensive model for consumer resistance to, and acceptance of, innovations is presented, that is divided into two general processes : goal setting and goal striving. The goal setting process is shown to consist of five stages: initial response to innovations-->perceptual and evaluative processes for goal setting-->emotional acceptance and resistance-->coping responses-->adoption decision. Four different decisions are considered: the decision to try or adopt, the decision to overcome resistance, the decision to resist, and indecision. Likewise, the goal striving process is shown to consist of five stages: appraisal and choice of means for goal striving-->action planning-->initiation of goal pursuit-->control of goal pursuit-->actual adoption or not. The various decision making procedures are considered heuristics that represent loosely coupled stages of cognitive, emotional, and volitional processes.