The Impact of Music Tempo and Color Tone on Patronage Intention: The Mediating Role of Perceived Congruity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65763/jmss.2026.e282121Keywords:
Music, Color, Perceived congruity, Patronage intentionAbstract
This study examines the effects of combinations of color tones and music tempos on perceived congruity and their impact on patronage intention, using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model as a framework. The study extends previous research in two key areas: (1) by exploring the use of vivid and earth tones in stores, expanding beyond prior research that primarily focused on warm and cool tones; and (2) by investigating how perceived congruity serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between environmental combinations of vivid/earth tones and fast/slow tempos and patronage intention. The study employs an experimental design across two distinct contexts: a restaurant setting and a hotel lobby. Each context incorporates four treatments derived from a factorial design, combining vivid tones with fast tempo, vivid tones with slow tempo, earth tones with fast tempo, and earth tones with slow tempo. Each treatment involved 40 participants, resulting in a total of 160 participants per study. The findings indicated that earth tones paired with slow tempos elicited the highest levels of perceived congruity, followed by vivid tones paired with fast tempos. Perceived congruity, in turn, significantly predicted patronage intention. Mediation analysis further revealed that perceived congruity mediated the relationship between environmental stimuli and patronage intention. These findings offer practical implications for business operators, suggesting strategies for creating congruent environments that enhance customer satisfaction and foster stronger patronage intention.
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