["Psychology &Marketing, EarlyView. ", "\nABSTRACT\nShame and pride are two self‐conscious consumer emotions that govern social behavior and can be effective gate‐ways for managerial influence. Conditions producing shame and pride are manipulated to explain how criticisms/disapproval and compliments/praise, respectively, lead to word of mouth communications and decisions to buy. Building on appraisal and adaptationist theories, this study identifies the conditions under which these effects occur by employing moderators (empathy, need to belong, public self‐consciousness, and product involvement). An experimental setting was created involving a group of friends as guests in a person's home, who is serving coffee with either positive or negative environmental and pro‐labor attributes. Hypotheses were tested on a representative sample of adults. Results showed that conditions triggering shame prompt individuals to engage in negative word of mouth and withdraw from purchasing behaviors, while conditions eliciting pride enhance positive word of mouth and intentions to buy. Additionally, empathy, need to belong, public self‐consciousness and product involvement regulate felt shame; empathy and product involvement regulate felt pride. In addition to advancing the discussion surrounding the conceptualization of pride and shame, results enhance our understanding of the psychological mechanisms that underpin the role of emotions in consumption dynamics. The findings have implications for such managerial decisions as advertising copy, communications tactics, package design, segmentation, and media selection.\n"]