Decision Focus and Consumer Choice among Assortments

This research examines an empirical paradox documented by prior research: when choosing among assortments, consumers opt for the variety offered by larger assortments; however, consumers often are less confident in choices made from larger rather than from smaller assortments. By implying that consumers cannot always accurately predict their need for variety, this preference inconsistency also raises the question of what factors influence consumers' tendency to overestimate their need for the flexibility offered by larger assortments. Building on the view of choice as a hierarchical decision process, this research posits that choice among assortments is a function of consumers' decision focus and, in particular, the degree to which the subsequent task of making a choice from the selected assortment is salient to consumers. The data from four experiments offer converging evidence for the moderating role of decision focus on choice among assortments. (c) 2006 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

2006), “Too Much of a Good Thing? Option Attractiveness and Assortment Choice,” working paper

Consumers often face decisions that involve choosing among assortments comprised of multiple options. In this research, we examine how assortment size influences choice among assortments and, in particular, how the attractiveness of the options comprising the available assortments moderates this process. We propose that, based on consumer expectations of assortment attractiveness, the preference for larger assortments is likely to decrease as the overall attractiveness of both assortments increases. The data from five experiments offer converging evidence in support of this prediction. [to cite]

Goal Orientation and Consumer Preference for the Status Quo

Consumers often must choose between a course of action that preserves the status quo and a course of action that is a departure from the status quo. This research demonstrates that preference for the status quo is a function of goal orientation and, in particular, that it tends to be more pronounced for prevention-focused than for promotion-focused consumers. The preference for the status quo was examined on two dimensions: preference for the status quo alternative and preference for inaction over action. In this context, it is shown that the impact of goal orientation on the preference for the status quo can occur independently of loss aversion—a finding consistent with the notion that goal orientation might impact choice by virtue of motivational factors such as self-regulation of anticipated regret. Consumers often must choose between a course of action that preserves the status quo and a course of action that is a departure from the status quo. Extant decision research has shown that individuals have a tendency to overweight the status quo, thus displaying an exaggerated preferenc

Feature complementarity and assortment in choice

This research argues that the purchase probability from a given choice set is contingent on the complementarity of the features differentiating its options. In particular, two types of features are distinguished: complementary features, which are characterized by the additivity of their utilities, and noncomplementary features, which are characterized by nonadditive utilities. In this context, it is argued that assortments in which options are differentiated by noncomplementary features are likely to be associated with a greater probability of purchase than assortments with options differentiated by complementary features. This prediction is supported by data from three experimental studies. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical implications and offers directions for further research. Consider a consumer who is choosing toothpaste among offerings by two different brands. The first brand offers four toothpastes differentiated by flavor: lemon, cinnamon, banana, and mint. The second brand offers four toothpastes differentiated by functional attributes: cavity prevention, tarta