Learned helplessness as an explanation of elderly consumer complaint behavior
Studies of consumer complaint behavior have shown that many elderly consumers are very reluctant to pursue their rights through the complaint process when they encounter problems with products or services. This passive complaint behavior may be very costly to the elderly, who often live on fixed inc...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer Science + Business Media B. V
1989
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| In: |
Journal of business ethics
Year: 1989, Volume: 8, Issue: 5, Pages: 359-366 |
| Further subjects: | B
Income
B Specific Behavior B Experimental Psychology B Economic Growth B Learn Helplessness |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Studies of consumer complaint behavior have shown that many elderly consumers are very reluctant to pursue their rights through the complaint process when they encounter problems with products or services. This passive complaint behavior may be very costly to the elderly, who often live on fixed incomes. This paper presents a theory developed in experimental psychology that may help explain why clderly consumers are more likely than other consumers to incur losses rather than engage in complaint activity. The theory, known as learned helplessness (LH), refers to a process whereby noncontingent reinforcement produces the expectation that events are uncontrollable., The theory of learned helplessness is presented and related to specific behaviors of dissatisfied elderly consumers that have been reported in the literature. Strategy implications of the theory are discussed for counselors, consumer affairs practitioners, and others interested in helping elderly consumers exercise their rights. |
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| ISSN: | 1573-0697 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of business ethics
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/BF00381727 |