形象一致性理论涵盖消费者评价产品/品牌的两个视角:自我一致性和功能一致性。随着目的地品牌营销兴起,该理论已被用于解释旅游者出游行为,却尚未有研究总结其在旅游情境中的发展脉络。本文首先从概念的界定、维度和测量方法等方面梳理形象一致性的理论发展演变,然后归纳出主要结果变量、内在作用机理和边界条件,明晰其在旅游情境中的研究进展。结论如下:①不同维度的自我一致性对旅游者行为的影响不同。②功能一致性会直接影响自我一致性,但尚未引起足够重视。③自我一致性通过不同中介变量间接影响出游行为。④多类调节变量均会影响形象一致性与出游行为之间的关系。文章探讨了形象一致性理论在旅游情境中的应用,为后续研究提供借鉴。
Image congruity theory consists of two perspectives of how consumers evaluate products/brands: self-congruity and functional congruity. Self-congruity describes a psychological process that customers tend to choose products or brands whose image closely matches their self-concept. As the development of destination branding marketing, image congruity theory is used to explain destination preference and choice, as well as destination satisfaction and loyalty. However, there is a sparse research summarizing the specific sequential development of image congruity theory in tourism context. This study first reviews the definitions, dimensions and measurements of self-congruity and functional congruity, and then summarizes related empirical studies from their outcome variables, mediators and moderators. Thus, we could clearly see the status quo of image congruity theory in tourism context. To be specific, self-congruity has four dimensions such as actual, ideal, social and ideal social self-congruity, while functional congruity includes varying attributes for different tourism products. Both indirect and direct ways could be used to measure self-congruity, and functional congruity is usually measured through an indirect way. The main conclusions of the present study are as follows: ①different dimensions of self-congruity have different impacts on travel behaviors including destination choice and preference before traveling, destination satisfaction and loyalty, revisit intention, as well as brand attachment after traveling;②functional congruity directly influences self-congruity, which needs to be paid more attention because of its importance in influencing travel behaviors; ③self-congruity could indirectly affect travel behaviors through self-motives, emotions, experience and attitude; ④ Multiple categories of moderators including individual, product, cultural and cognitive differences could affect the relationship between image congruity and travel behaviors.