Are all units created equal? The effect of default units on product evaluations

Previous research on numerosity effects has shown that people often infer higher quantity from larger numbers (i.e. specified in smaller units). We argue that consumers have default units for many attribute levels. In three studies, we demonstrate that products described in default units generate more positive product evaluations, irrespective of the nominal value of the attribute (Study 1). This default unit effect is eliminated by a misattribution paradigm in which participants attribute the metacognitive feelings generated by default units to an irrelevant source (Study 2). Further, the default unit effect is eliminated for participants with an abstract mindset (Study 3)

Numbers and Units Affect Goal Pursuit Organization and Motivation

Goals are one of the most ubiquitous drivers of behavior. Despite the wealth of research on goal pursuit, less is known about how individuals organize their goal pursuit in the first place. This manuscript represents one of the first studies to provide insight into quantitative goal organization, proposing that the unit/numerical value in which a goal is described influences goal pursuit organization. Specifying a superordinate goal in units with larger numbers (e.g., studying for an exam for 120 minutes per week), rather than with smaller numbers (2 hours per week), leads to a goal pursuit structure that consists of more, but smaller subgoals. We also find that units with larger compared to smaller numbers tend to have a positive effect on goal motivation (i.e. more likely to start the goal earlier and to finish it). Finally, this positive effect on goal motivation is attenuated when consumers focus is on the number of subgoals left (rather than completed) while pursuing the overarching goal. We believe that changing units may be an easyto-implement nudge for anyone (e.g., marketers, managers, public policymakers, behavioral therapists, etc.) who wants to increase the likelihood that individuals use a particular goal pursuit structure

Falling Back on Numbers: When Preference for Numerical Product Information Increases after a Personal Control Threat

Despite the ubiquity of numerical information in consumers’ lives, prior research has provided limited insights to marketers about when numerical information exerts greater impact on decisions. This study offers evidence that judgments involving numerical information can be affected by consumers’ sense of personal control over the environment. A numerical attribute’s format communicates the extent to which the magnitude of a benefit is predictable (Study 1a), such that people who experience a control threat and want to see their external environment as predictable (Study 1b) rely on point value (vs. range) information as a general signal that the environment is predictable (Study 2). A personal control threat changes consumers’ preferences as a function of whether the numerical information appears as a point value or a range (Studies 3–4). This heightened focus on format may lessen the impact of a product benefit’s predicted magnitude, if a lower magnitude is specified in a more precise format (Study 5). Study 6 provides first evidence that the interactive effect of personal control levels and numerical formats can affect consequential choices

Consumer-driven climate mitigation:Exploring barriers and solutions in studying higher mitigation potential behaviors

A systematic review of sustainable consumer behaviors in five prominent consumer research journals revealed that green behaviors with greater potential for climate mitigation (e.g., plant-based consumption) have not been broadly studied, indicating promising opportunities for future research. In an exploratory survey, we conceptually replicate this finding using a sample of consumer researchers with a general interest in studying higher-potential behaviors. We explore potential explanations, including researchers' focus on construct-to-construct mapping, preference for behaviors they personally experience or find easy to implement, lack of clear incentives to study higher-potential behaviors, and inadequate understanding of mitigation potential. To help shift consumer researchers’ focus on higher-potential behaviors, we offer concrete recommendations, such as proactively considering mitigation potential both as authors and reviewers, and utilizing phenomenon-to-construct mapping for enhancing theoretical contributions. In sum, this research will help interested consumer researchers to provide more relevant answers to the urgent challenge of climate change mitigation.</p