Cognitive and affective reactions when facing an additional delay while waiting in line: A matter of self-consciousness disposition

We investigated the influence of self-consciousness disposition on the cognitive and affective reactions of consumers when facing a delay using written scenarios to investigate participants’ reactions while waiting with strangers in line at the movie theater. Results indicated that when compared with low public participants, high public participants had more self-related thoughts, reported more negative evaluation of the waiting experience and attributed controllability for the cause of waiting to the service provider. High public participants had significantly different cognitive and affective reactions from those of low public participants when the cause of waiting was related to an intrusion occurring immediately in front of them, rather than when it was related to an inappropriate behavior of the service provider.