An Empirical Study On Response Tone, Emotional Congruence, And Brand Value On Douyin (Scenario 1)

My name is ZhouTing, and I am a postgraduate student pursuing a Master of Communication at Taylor's University. This questionnaire is part of my academic research project and it aims to understand how consumers perceive brand crisis responses on social media platforms, particularly in the context of Douyin. You will be asked to read a brief description of a brand crisis situation, followed by a brand’s official response.


All responses are anonymous and confidential and will be used for academic research purposes only. Participation in this survey is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time.


The questionnaire will take approximately 5–8 minutes to complete. By continuing, you confirm that you are 18 years old or above and agree to participate in this study.

Demographic Information

1. Age
2. Gender
3. Highest Level of Education
4. Current Occupation

Instruction: Please read the following situation carefully.


Crisis Background:
A well-known consumer brand on Douyin has recently been criticized by users after several consumers reported quality problems with one of its products. Related posts and comments expressing dissatisfaction and anger quickly spread on the Douyin platform, attracting widespread public attention. Many users questioned the brand’s responsibility and demanded an official response.

Brand Response:

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment caused by this incident. We fully acknowledge our responsibility for the problems raised by consumers. The brand deeply values every customer’s feedback and has immediately initiated an internal investigation to identify the root causes.


We are committed to improving product quality and service standards, and we will provide appropriate compensation to affected consumers. Thank you for your supervision and understanding. We will continue to listen carefully to public feedback and make concrete improvements.

Negative Public Emotion 
1. I felt outraged by the brand’s response.
2. I felt disappointed with the brand’s response.
3. I felt dissatisfied with the brand’s response.
Response Strategy
Please indicate your level of agreement with each statement.
4. The brand publicly acknowledged its mistake and apologized.
5. The brand denied being responsible for the crisis.
Response Tone 
6. The tone of the brand’s response was mild and sincere.
7. The brand’s response conveyed empathy.
8. The tone of the brand’s response was cold and hard.
Emotional Congruence 
9. The emotions expressed in the brand response were consistent with how I felt.
10. The brand response showed understanding of public anger.
11. The brand response did not match my feelings at that moment.
Perceived Brand Value 
12. I think the brand still has high value.
13. I still trust the brand.
14. I would be willing to continue buying this brand.
15. I would recommend this brand to others.
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