Cognitive effort, affect, and choice

Article Abstract:

This article examines cognitive effort and its influence on choice outcomes through process-induced negative affect. We propose that an alternative that requires more cognitive effort to evaluate leads the decision maker to generate more negative affect and to choose that alternative less frequently than an alternative that is less effortful to evaluate. Two studies demonstrate that when different levels of effort are expended processing equivalent alternatives, the effort adversely affects choice of the more difficult to process alternatives. More respondents, especially those with less skill at the evaluation task, selected a brand and expressed a greater willingness to pay a premium for it when it was less effortful to evaluate. The second study shows that more negative affect was generated as the cognitive effort increased, lowering the likelihood of the difficult alternative being selected. The extent of negative affect generated was exaggerated under time pressure and increased the choice of the less difficult alternative. Although negative affect was generated, it did not influence choice when there was a clearly superior alternative. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Psychological aspects, Brand choice, Cognition, Affect (Psychology)

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Factors affecting the impact of negatively and positively framed ad messages

Article Abstract:

This article examines the effects of negative and positive framing of ad claims on consumers' choices and attitudes. Propositions about how the extent of processing before choice affects the relative impact of claims-related versus advertising tactics-related cognitions are tested in three experiments. Findings suggest that when processing is limited, claims-related cognitions have a greater impact on choice, which results in the sponsoring brand being chosen more often when the ad claims are negatively framed than when they are positively framed. When respondents engage in more extensive processing before choice, tactics-related cognitions become more accessible and, if perceived to be unfair, result in an attenuation of the advantage of negative framing over positive framing. A different pattern of results is obtained when one examines brand attitudes rather than brand choice. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Advertising, Consumer behavior

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Product category familiarity and preference construction

Article Abstract:

Marketers often base decisions about marketing strategies on the results of research designed to elicit information about consumers' preferences. A large body of research indicates, however, that preferences often are labile. That is, preferences can be reversed depending on factors such as how the preference is elicited. In three studies, we examine the effect of familiarity in two preference-elicitation tasks, choice and matching judgments. We provide evidence of an interaction between familiarity and response mode (choice or matching) in each study. In study 3, we test the explanation that preference reversals may occur when the interaction of response mode with product-category familiarity leads to systematic changes in attribute weighting. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Evaluation, Products

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