FRUIT OR CANDY? EASE OF JUSTIFICATION AS A MODERATOR OF THE EFFECT OF ASSORTMENT SIZE ON CONSUMER CHOICE

• Authors: Kristína Radová
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Two studies demonstrate that, because choosing from larger variety is usually more difficult, people are likely to select options that are easier to justify; consequently, choosing from larger assortments often shifts the preference from self-indulgent to virtuous. These effects reverse, resulting in higher relative preference for hedonistic options, when situational factors provide easily accessible reasons to indulge. Subjects made both real-life (Experiment 1 – E1) and hypothetical choices (Experiment 2 – E2). Individuals’ decisions were modified by assortment size and character of options in E1while E2 also added accessible justifications (for choosing vices) created by subjects’ prior altruistic decisions. The results show that variety partially moderates the effect of accessible justifications on option choice. Significant differences were found according to gender and study degree. The fact that none of the subjects was conscious of experimental manipulation suggests that individuals might not always be aware of what truly drives their decisions.

Keywords

EN

DECISION MAKING; JUSTIFICATION; VICE AND VIRTUE; CONSUMER CHOICE

• Publisher: Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Studia Psychologica
• Year: 2016
• Volume: 58
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 145 – 155

Contributors

author

Kristína Radová

• Institute of Applied Pychology,Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences Comenius University Bratislava, Slovak Republic