This article uses the functionalist perspective of emotion to
demonstrate that the influence of sadness on indulgent consumption
depends on the presence of a hedonic eating goal. Sadness heightens a
person's sensitivity to the potentially harmful consequences of
indulgent consumption, which decreases indulgence when a hedonic eating
goal is salient. As sadness is often associated with a loss, this
protective function is geared toward preventing future losses. The
execution of this function is mitigated by feelings of safety, a
counterforce to concerns about the harmful consequences of goal pursuit.
Alternatively, when a hedonic eating goal is not salient, or a salient
goal does not have harmful consequences, sadness results in emotion
regulation (i.e., indulging as a means of feeling better). This
conceptualization and findings show that the effects of emotions on
indulgent consumption can be goal-dependent, and that emotions can aid
consumers in the balancing of long-term goals and well-being. [ABSTRACT
FROM AUTHOR]