Exploring the Antecedents and Consequences of Vicarious Animosity: An International Perspective on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

The study explores whether vicarious animosity and altruism account for consumers’ willingness to buy products made in Ukraine (perceived victim) and reluctance to buy products made in Russia (perceived aggressor). The proposed Research Model comprises six constructs (susceptibility to normative influence, altruism, animosity beliefs, vicarious animosity, willingness to buy Russian products, and willingness to buy Ukrainian products). Data for the current investigation was collected from a convenience sample of American and German consumers (282 and 199, respectively) between March 15th and June 15th, 2022, via an online survey using self-reported questionnaires. Findings show that altruism correlates more strongly with reluctance to buy Russian-made products than willingness to buy products made in Ukraine. Altruism mediates the relationship between subjective normative influence and willingness to buy Russian products. Animosity beliefs mediate the relationship between subjective normative influence and vicarious animosity. Finally, vicarious animosity mediates the relationship between animosity beliefs and willingness to buy Russian products. Previous consumer behavior research has largely neglected how intergroup conflict may impact the attitudes and responses of uninvolved parties. By focusing on altruism, our study extends the literature on consumer animosity. Furthermore, we identify the differential role of altruism on consumer behavior concerning the parties involved in a conflict.