The impact of confidence in expectations on consumer satisfaction

Abstract Research into the construct relationships that form consumer satisfaction has advanced to a stage in which moderator variables need to be examined. The present research proposes and tests confidence in expectations as a potential moderator of these relationships. A laboratory study tests these hypotheses and finds support for them. Specifically, high‐confidence subjects use both disconfirmation and perceived performance to form feelings of satisfaction, whereas low‐confidence subjects use only perceived performance. Implications for both research and managerial practice are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.