How the sound frequency of background music influences consumers’ perceptions and decision making
通过三个实验发现，低频音乐让消费者感觉距离更远，从而更偏好抽象描述的产品；高频音乐则相反。研究揭示了音乐频率通过心理距离影响决策的机制，对营销人员选择背景音乐有参考价值。
Abstract This study examined how music frequency affected consumers’ perception and decision making. The results of three experimental studies show that music frequency affects perceived distance between the sound source and the perceiver. Consequently, the representation of marketing message that matched (vs. mismatched) the background music's frequency enhanced consumers’ evaluative judgments. Specifically, Study 1A demonstrates that low‐frequency (vs. high‐frequency) music increased perceived distance. Studies 2, 3A, and 3B indicate that low‐frequency (high‐frequency) music matched products with abstract (concrete) representations and marketing messages signifying far (near) psychological distance. The congruency between psychological distance induced by music frequency and mental representations of products and message orientation offers a novel perspective on the notion of congruency. Moreover, Study 2 provides evidence that supports the congruency–fluency–evaluation chain (i.e., the mediating role of fluency), and Studies 3A and 3B show that the congruency has downstream effects. This study provides a theoretical contribution to the literature on the effects of music in marketing contexts by presenting convergent evidence that individuals exposed to low‐frequency (high‐frequency) music are inclined to construe a marketing message at a high (low) level.