Comparability and hierarchical processing in multialternative choice

Article Abstract:

Consumer choice research recently moved beyond brand-based decisions to study the more noncomparable choices consumers often face. Noncomparable choice processing in choices involving multiple products is discussed. In Experiment 1, consumers used attribute-based processing at an abstract level and alternative-based processing at a concrete level to evaluate more noncomparable alternatives independent of choice set size. In Experiment 2, the choices from Experiment 1 were compared with choices within which products varied in comparability. The results suggest that comparability variance within a multialternative choice set facilitates consumers' use of product categories and hierarchical processing to eliminate choice alternatives. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Choice (Psychology)

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Effects of framing on evaluation of comparable and noncomparable alternatives by expert and novice consumers

Article Abstract:

The study finds that framing, i.e., priming different decision criteria, influences evaluation outcomes for both expert and novice consumers when the alternatives are noncomparable and influences evaluation outcomes for novices when the alternatives are comparable. The ready availability of a decision criterion, as opposed to the lack of one, also alters consumers' cognitive responses for noncomparable sets to make these responses appear more like cognitive responses typical of comparable sets. One fundamental distinction between sets of noncomparable and comparable alternatives may be the ready availability of decision criteria versus the need to construct them, rather than any inherent differences in category types. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Management, Consumers

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The differential processing of product category and noncomparable choice alternatives

Article Abstract:

This article contrasts consumer choice processing of single products from different categories (noncomparable alternatives) with the processing of multiple products from different categories (product category alternatives). It is unclear whether choosing among single or multiple alternatives from different product categories will drastically affect choice processing. Theoretically, the processing of product categories should be more hierarchical or top-down, and the processing of noncomparables should be more constructive or bottom-up. The results reported here support the theoretical predictions and demonstrate the perceptual and processing differences between the two types of choices. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Analysis, Brand choice

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