The More Excluded, the Brighter: How Social Exclusion Experience Shapes Consumers' Preference for Brightness

Brightness is a core sensory cue in consumption settings, yet little is known about why consumers come to prefer bright environments under particular social-psychological states. Taking a social-interaction perspective, this research proposes that the experience of social exclusion strengthens consumers' preference for brightness: consumers who have been excluded favor brighter environments and are more likely to choose high-brightness products. The mechanism lies in perceived control. Social exclusion threatens consumers' sense of control over the environment; they then interpret brightness cues as a route to environmental mastery and rebuild control by choosing bright settings. A high sense of power further amplifies this effect. Four experiments, combining subjective evaluations with behavioral choices, support these propositions. By connecting the experience of social exclusion with consumers' preference for sensory environments, this research adds to sensory marketing theory and offers actionable guidance for practice.