26 Universal Emotions that Drive Consumer Behavior
In the white paper, “The Sentient 26 Emotional Taxonomy: An Emotional Motivation Framework for Understanding Consumer Behavior,” we’ve classified 26 emotions according to their motivational properties, and their respective influence on consumer behavior.
We break down the difference between Motivational Mindsets and Motivational Emotions, plus describe the subtle differences between emotions within four basic marketing frameworks:
- High Arousal; Positive Valence – such as: happiness, pride, and schadenfreude
- Low Arousal; Positive Valence – such as: relief, contentment, and gratitude
- Low Arousal; Negative Valence – such as: agony, sadness, and boredom
- High Arousal; Negative Valence – such as: embarrassment, jealousy, and anxiety
The importance of evoking distinct emotions during the market research phase is essential for determining how best to frame your products or services pre-launch. We’ve put together this informational white paper to help you better understand how 26 distinct emotions drive consumer behavior.
How can you leverage these distinct emotional states to better understand your customers? Download the Sentient 26 Emotional Taxonomy to find out.

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