An Exploratory Study of Vicariously Embarrassing Classroom Incidents

Purpose of the Study: This study introduces vicarious embarrassment to the marketing education literature. It identifies the types of incidents that generate vicarious embarrassment in the classroom and the cognitive/emotional and action responses to experienced vicarious embarrassment. Attribution theory provides clarity to identified relationships of incident type on the cognitive/emotional, action, and consequences (i.e., word-of-mouth, class participation, future course enrollment) of vicarious embarrassment as experienced by marketing students in the college classroom setting. Method/Design and Sample: The Critical Incident Technique is conducted to acquire data from 483 marketing students. Content analysis is utilized in conjunction with t-tests, ANOVA, and Chi-square tests to investigate four research questions. Results: The findings suggest that vicarious embarrassment is experienced by marketing students and identifies three incident types, six cognitive/emotional reactions, and six action responses. Significant incident type by both cognitive/emotional and action responses, as well as behavioral outcomes are identified. Attributions are significantly associated with both incident type and behavioral outcomes. Value to Marketing Educators: This study provides the first known empirically based typologies for classroom vicarious embarrassment incidents, associated cognitive/emotional reactions, and action responses from the marketing student perspective. This study provides insights to instructors that suggest how they might actively manage situations that cause vicarious embarrassment in the classroom.