Journal of Consumer Research Highlights from Two Years Ago
|
Will I Spend More in 12 Months or a Year? The Effect of Ease of Estimation and Confidence on Budget Estimates G�lden �lk�men Manoj Thomas Vicki G. Morwitz
Consumer budgets are influenced by the temporal frame used for the budget period. Budgets planned for the next month are much lower than recorded expenses, while those for the next year are closer to recorded expenses. The difficulty of estimating budgets for the next year imparts low confidence and leads to upward adjustment. When consumer confidence in estimates is increased, when natural beliefs about the relationship between cognitive ease and accuracy are reversed, or when cognitive resources are constrained, consumers no longer adjust their budgets upward for the next year.
Volume 35, Number 2, August 2008, DOI: 10.1086/587627
Selected Media Mentions
The New York Times The Year of Magical Budgeting
CBC News 12 months vs. 1 year? Study finds long-term thinking best for budget
HULIQ People predict budgets better on annual basis
Science Daily People Predict Budgets Better On Annual Basis
Eureka! Science News People Predict Budgets Better On Annual Basis
PhysOrg.com People Predict Budgets Better On Annual Basis
|
The Mere Categorization Effect: How the Presence of Categories Increases Choosers' Perceptions of Assortment Variety and Outcome Satisfaction Cassie Mogilner Tamar Rudnick Sheena S. Iyengar
What is the effect of option categorization on satisfaction? A combination of field and laboratory experiments reveals that the mere presence of categories, irrespective of their content, positively influences the satisfaction of choosers who are unfamiliar with the choice domain. This "mere categorization effect" is driven by a greater number of categories signaling greater variety among the available options, which allows for a sense of self-determination from choosing. This effect, however, is attenuated for choosers who are familiar with the choice domain, who do not rely on the presence of categories to perceive the variety available.
Volume 35, Number 2, August 2008, DOI: 10.1086/588698
Selected Media Mentions
The New York Times Can't Decide? Look for the Label
EurekAlert! Categories Help Us Make Happier Choices
Science Daily Categories Help Us Make Happier Choices
Eureka! Science News Categories Help Us Make Happier Choices
PhysOrg.com Categories Help Us Make Happier Choices
|
One Individual, Two Identities: Frame Switching among Biculturals David Luna Torsten Ringberg Laura A. Peracchio
Bicultural bilingual individuals have incorporated two cultures within themselves and speak the languages of those cultures. When cued by a particular language, these individuals activate distinct sets of culture-specific concepts, or mental frames, which include aspects of their identities. Language-triggered frame switching (that is, switching from one set of mental frames to another) occurs only with biculturals, not with bilinguals who are not bicultural. The studies uncover frame switching at the within-individual level, and they include both qualitative and experimental evidence. The studies also provide a methodology to identify the relative activation strength of specific mental frames in different languages.
Volume 35, Number 2, August 2008, DOI: 10.1086/586914
Selected Media Mentions
CBC News A split in linguistic personalities
EurekAlert! Are You A Different Person When You Speak A Different Language?
Science Daily Are You A Different Person When You Speak A Different Language?
Eureka! Science News Are You A Different Person When You Speak A Different Language?
PhysOrg.com Are You A Different Person When You Speak A Different Language?
|
Choice Set Configuration as a Determinant of Preference Attribution and Strength Song-Oh Yoon Itamar Simonson
Despite the growing consensus that consumer preferences are often constructed when decisions are made, very little is known about the factors that determine the strength and stability of constructed preferences. The manner in which preferences are formed has a significant effect on their strength and stability. In particular, option set configuration, asymmetric dominance versus compromise, drives the decision process and whether consumers (consciously) focus on the chosen option or the context. This in turn affects the resulting decision process trace, as reflected in choice stability, confidence, and attribution. The results of five studies support this proposition. Thus, the strength of constructed preferences is a function of choice problem characteristics and the construction process.
Volume 35, Number 2, August 2008, DOI: 10.1086/587630
Selected Media Mentions
MSNBC How retailers get in your head to get you to buy
ConsumerAffairs.com New Research Uncovers Key to Consumer Preferences
EurekAlert! Context Is Everything: New Research Uncovers Key To Consumer Preferences
Science Daily Context Is Everything: New Research Uncovers Key To Consumer Preferences
Eureka! Science News Context Is Everything: New Research Uncovers Key To Consumer Preferences
PhysOrg.com Context Is Everything: New Research Uncovers Key To Consumer Preferences
|
Designing Discrete Choice Experiments: Do Optimal Designs Come at a Price? Jordan J. Louviere Towhidul Islam Nada Wasi Deborah Street Leonie Burgess
In discrete choice experiments, design decisions are crucial for determining data quality and costs. While high statistical efficiency designs are desirable, they may come at a price if they increase the cognitive burden for respondents. The authors address this problem by designing 44 experiments that systematically vary numbers of attributes and attribute level differences. The results for two product categories suggest that respondents systematically are less consistent in answering choice questions as statistical efficiency increases. This relationship holds regardless of the number of attributes and is statistically significant even if one accommodates preference heterogeneity.
Volume 35, Number 2, August 2008, DOI: 10.1086/586913
Selected Media Mentions
EurekAlert! Context is everything: New research uncovers key to consumer preferences
Science Daily Too Many Choices Can Spoil The Research
Eureka! Science News Too Many Choices Can Spoil The Research
|