The Effect of Annuity Advertising Type and Goal Framing on Commercial Pension Annuity Insurance: Based on the Double-Entry Mental Accounting Theory

Li Bin; Lin Jiaqi; Li Aimei

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240612

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Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (6) : 1400-1409. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240612

Social，Personality & Organizational Psychology

The Effect of Annuity Advertising Type and Goal Framing on Commercial Pension Annuity Insurance: Based on the Double-Entry Mental Accounting Theory

Li Bin^1,2, Lin Jiaqi¹, Li Aimei¹

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Abstract

A commercial annuity is a financial product in which individuals protect themselves by purchasing insurance from private insurance companies at a young age, and choose between a lump sum payment and regular monthly installments. In return, they receive fixed regular payments until death. As China grapples with the pressing challenges of an aging population and an increasing social welfare burden, numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of commercial pension annuities as a viable solution for the government to mitigate longevity risk. However, despite the proven benefits of private pension annuities, their uptake by consumers remains limited. The current body of academic marketing research has not provided sufficient guidance on how best to stimulate consumer willingness to purchase commercial pension annuities. Therefore, further research is warranted to address this gap and provide insights for enhancing the uptake of commercial pension annuities.
The primary objective of this study is to address the research gap and determine an effective strategy to motivate individuals to purchase commercial pension annuities. Additionally, it aims to investigate the psychological mechanisms of consumers and the factors that influence the purchase of commercial pension annuities. To achieve these objectives, the study employs a moderated mediation model that combines double-entry mental accounting theory and the framing effect to examine the impact of commercial pension annuity on purchasing decisions. The study aims to investigate whether individuals prefer consumption annuity over investment alternatives. It also explores the underlying mechanism of this preference through two channels of double-entry mental accounting. The first channel captures the positive utility derived from consumption after payment, referred to as "the pleasure of consumption." The second channel records the disutility of paying for gains, known as "the pain of paying." Additionally, this study investigates the moderating effect of goal framing on this relationship.
The study was conducted using a situational experiment with 492 participants, using a 2 (annuity advertisement: consumption vs. investment) x 2 (goal framing: positive vs. negative) between-subjects design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups and instructed to imagine purchasing a commercial pension annuity before completing scales. The collected data were then analyzed, and the primary findings were as follows. First, consumption annuity plans were found to be more effective in enhancing consumers' willingness to purchase commercial pension annuities. This is primarily due to consumers' tendency to avoid investment pension plans owing to uncertainty and concerns about potential financial losses. Second, the pleasure of consumption and the pain of payment were found to have a mediating effect. In other words, consumption annuities were found to increase consumers' enjoyment of consumption and thus positively influence their purchase intention. Lastly, a significant interaction effect was observed between the goal framing and the type of annuity advertisement on individuals' inclination to purchase. Specifically, under negative goal framing conditions, investment annuities were associated with lower consumption pleasure and a lower tendency to choose pension annuities.
In summary, this study provides valuable insights into the psychological mechanisms of "investment aversion" in consumer purchasing behavior toward commercial annuities. The findings highlight consumers' preference for consumption annuities and demonstrate the mediating role of double-entry mental accounting, as well as the moderating effect of negative goal framing in decision making. Moreover, the observed interaction between commercial pension annuity type and goal framing underscores the theoretical and practical implications of leveraging information framing in the private pension annuity insurance sector. Overall, these conclusions contribute to the existing literature on annuity consumption and have important marketing implications for enterprises operating in this sector. By enhancing our understanding of consumer psychology in pension planning, this research provides valuable guidance for developing more effective marketing strategies and product designs, potentially increasing the adoption of these crucial financial instruments among consumers.

Key words

annuity puzzle / framing effect / double-entry mental accounting / commercial pension annuity / goal framing

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Li Bin, Lin Jiaqi, Li Aimei. The Effect of Annuity Advertising Type and Goal Framing on Commercial Pension Annuity Insurance: Based on the Double-Entry Mental Accounting Theory[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2024, 47(6): 1400-1409 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240612

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