Measuring Consumer Perceived Warm-Glow for Technology Adoption Modeling

Abstract

In this paper, we adapt and validate two constructs—perceived extrinsic warm-glow (PEWG) and perceived intrinsic warm-glow (PIWG) —to measure the two dimensions of consumer perceived warm-glow (i.e., extrinsic and intrinsic) for use with the practice of technology adoption modeling. Taking an experimental approach, participants were exposed to one of four vignettes designed to simulate either the absence or the presence of warm-glow (specifically, extrinsic warm-glow, intrinsic warm-glow, and concurrently extrinsic and intrinsic warm-glow). The results revealed that both constructs measured their respective forms of warm-glow with two caveats. Firstly, singularly trying to evoke extrinsic warm-glow led to only a slight increase in consumer perception of extrinsic warm-glow. We attributed this finding to individuals not being attracted to technology products that overtly target and seek to satisfy their vanity, instead preferring technology that does so in a more subtle way. The second is that singularly trying to evoke intrinsic warm-glow also resulted in the manifestation of extrinsic warm-glow. Thus, warm-glow appears as a blend of extrinsic and intrinsic dimensions. This finding serves to reinforce what has already been reported in existing literature regarding warm-glow and the idea of impure altruism.