A PATH ANALYTIC MODEL OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INVOLVEMENT, PSYCHOLOGICAL COMMITMENT, AND LOYALTY

This paper outlines antecedents of involvement and mediating roles of developmental processes leading to participants' behavioral loyalty (i .e., involvement --> psychological commitment --> resistance to change --> behavioral loyalty). We propose that individuals go through seque ntial psychological processes to become loyal participants including: (a) the formation of high levels of involvement in an activity, (b) th e development of psychological commitment to a brand, and (c) the main tenance of strong attitudes toward resistance to change preferences of the brand. Furthermore, because not all individuals show the identica l processes in the development of participants' loyalty, we propose th at both personal characteristics and social-situational factors modera te the developmental processes.