Abstract：

This study aims to explore the different impacts of ex-ante discounts and ex-post discounts on consumers' emotional arousal and consumption evaluations. Based on the perspective of consumption timing, this paper classifies discounts into two types: ex-ante discounts and ex-post discounts. It analyzes the influence mechanisms of the two on consumers' psychology and purchase decisions in different consumption situations. Ex-ante discounts convey discount information in advance in a clear and direct way, giving consumers more control over information. This may trigger stronger emotional reactions and affect their consumption evaluations. In contrast, ex-post discounts mean that consumers learn about the discount information only after consumption. The delayed delivery of information makes its impact on immediate emotions and purchase decisions relatively weak. By reviewing relevant literature, this paper summarizes the relationships between the way discount information is conveyed, consumers' emotional reactions, and purchase decisions. It explores the influence mechanisms of different discount types on consumption evaluations and reveals the moderating role of emotional arousal. The research in this paper provides a theoretical basis for businesses when formulating discount strategies and offers a new perspective for consumer behavior research.

Key Words：

Discount; emotional arousal; type of discount; consumption evaluation