Title

Downsizing And Supersizing: How Changes In Product Attributes Influence Consumer Preferences

Keywords

attribute change; downsizing; dual systems of processing; preference modification; supersizing

Abstract

This paper investigates how changing the value of one attribute while keeping other attributes constant influences consumers' judgments and behaviors. We find that in two options, a proportionally equal change in one attribute tilts people's preference toward the option with higher (or lower) absolute magnitude of change when the change is desirable (or undesirable). We propose that when individuals face an attribute change, they use a deliberative and effortful response, known as System 2, to detect the change. However, they rely less on this system to evaluate the changed options. Instead, a more automatic System 1 processing influences their decision by making them apply the bigger-is-better heuristic (bigger-is-worse for an undesirable change) to prefer the option with the highest (lowest) absolute magnitude of change. Six studies demonstrate this phenomenon in both lab and real settings and support our hypothesis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Publication Date

10-1-2014

Publication Title

Journal of Behavioral Decision Making

Volume

27

Issue

4

Number of Pages

301-315

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.1806

Socpus ID

84963764421 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84963764421

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