本研究旨在探討當消費者面對與產品相關的資訊時，不同的語言表達方式是否會影響消費者的行為。我們在兩種可獲得產品訊息的管道，口碑與廣告中皆利用兩種不同的敘述方式: 肯定句(affirmation)與否定句(negation)呈現內容。即使當聽話者接收到說話者的正面口碑，若以否定句作為敘述方式，此時聽話者會推測說話者對談述的商品具有較不偏好的態度與較不愉悅的情緒，連帶使聽話者對該商品產生較不喜愛的態度與較低的購買意願；但無論以肯定句或是否定句傳遞負面口碑的的方式，兩者不會造成聽話者對說話者進行不同的推估。因此聽話者的購買意願也不會表露太大的差異(實驗一)。根據本研究對消費者的規範焦點與否定句之間的探究，我們發現促進焦點(promotion-focused)的人相較於預防焦點(prevention-focused)的人更容易被否定句描述的廣告說服。另外一方面，預防焦點的人與促進焦點的人暴露在肯定直接陳述的廣告產生的說服效果沒有差異(實驗二)。我們將人們的規範焦點延伸到人際間交談時的說話方式。結果顯示當發生正向預期失驗時，不論是促進焦點的人或是預防焦點的人皆偏好肯定的敘述方式。然而，在負向預期失驗時，預防焦點的人比起促進焦點的人較傾向使用否定句(實驗三)。

This research intends to investigate when consumers receive the product information from word of mouth or an advertisement, whether narrative in different syntax will influence consumers’ behavior. We examine the negation that consumer use in word of mouth. The findings indicate that on the receiver side, negation rather than affirmation in positive word of mouth leads to (1) the inference that the sender has less favorable attitude and emotion. (2) a lower buying intention for the product. But either affirmation or negation in negative word of mouth, there is no difference in their inference and buying intention (experiments 1). Further, we focus on the relationship between regulatory focus and negation in advertisements. Compare to prevention-focused individuals, promotion-focused individuals are more likely to be persuaded when the context syntax was negation in the ads. On the other hand, prevention-focused and promotion-focused individuals are exposed to the ads which context syntax was affirmation, the persuasiveness of an advertisement isn’t different (experiments 2). We also extend the regulatory focus theory to interpersonal conversation manners. No matter prevention-focused or promotion-focused individuals prefer to use affirmative descriptions when they experience positive disconfirmation. However, promotion-focused individuals are more inclined to using negation when they undergo negative disconfirmation (experiments 3).

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