An Integrative Reference-Dependent Framework of Tourist Satisfaction
Gains, Losses, and Motivational Moderators of Behavioral Intentions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21652840 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hyojun Jung (0009-0008-1147-4451, Virginia Tech), Juan L Nicolau (0000-0003-0048-2823, Virginia Tech, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-16 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1096-3480 • E-ISSN: 1557-7554 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10963480251391398 |
| OpenAlex | W4415245092 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 60 |
While satisfaction, motivation, revisit intention, and recommendation intention have been extensively studied in tourism research, existing models overlook the role of reference dependence in shaping tourist behavior. This study applies prospect theory and social comparison theory to analyze how satisfaction gains and losses influence behavioral intentions within a reference dependence framework, emphasizing the moderating role of travel motivations. Using a large-scale dataset of 106,504 foreign tourists visiting South Korea (2007–2023), findings reveal that the relationships between relative satisfaction and revisit and recommendation intentions are asymmetrical and reference-dependent, with reference points derived from travel motivations. Notably, loss aversion appears consistently across both revisit and recommendations intentions and certain travel motivations exhibit different degrees of loss aversion patterns. By integrating behavioral economics with motivational psychology, this study contributes to understanding how relative satisfaction, evaluated as gains and losses rather than absolute satisfaction levels, shows asymmetric associations across different motivations in relation to behavioral intentions
Behavioral economics · Loss aversion · Prospect theory · Social comparison theory · Tourism · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research
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Prospect Theory
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Appreciation to and Behavior Intention Regarding Upscale Ethnic Restaurants
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Tourist Perceived Value, Tourist Satisfaction, and Life Satisfaction
Peer-to-Peer Dining
Love in Tourist Motivation and Satisfaction
Trust the Facts
Satisfaction and Expenditure in Wineries
The Role of Gastronomy Tourism on Revisit and Recommendation Intentions
The relationship between the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors of a tourist destination
Understanding the Relationships between Tourists’ Emotional Experiences, Perceived Overall Image, Satisfaction, and Intention to Recommend
Analysis of the perceived value of online tourism reviews
Testing loss aversion and diminishing sensitivity in review sentiment
Asymmetric effects of online consumer reviews
Seniors’ travel motivation and the influential factors
Effective promotions for membership subscriptions and renewals to tourist attractions
A reference-dependent approach to WTP for priority
The role of motivation in visitor satisfaction
Tourism image, evaluation variables and after purchase behaviour
Shopping experience evaluation
Travel selfies on social media as objectified self-presentation
Pop star fan tourists
Examining the relationship between tourist motivation and satisfaction by two competing methods
Antecedents of revisit intention
Future Space Tourists’ Motivations, Constraints, and Negotiation Strategies
A Theory of Social Comparison Processes
Be A Force for Good
Tourist motivation an appraisal
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |