The Maximizing Mind-Set

Jingjing Ma and Neal J. Roese

Journal of Consumer Research, 2014, vol. 41, issue 1, 71 - 92

Abstract: Getting the best has been advocated as an ideal in almost every domain of life. We propose that maximizing constitutes a mind-set that may be situationally activated and has cross-domain consequences. Specifically, we show that the maximizing mind-set amplifies regret and dissatisfaction, increases the likelihood of returning and switching products, and affects sensory experiences such as taste. The effect of the maximizing mind-set occurs only when consumers learn that they do not get the best but not when they do in fact get the best. We validate our conception of the maximizing mind-set by demonstrating its embrace of underlying processes of comparisons and goals.

Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/674977 (application/pdf)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/674977 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:jconrs:doi:10.1086/674977

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Consumer Research is currently edited by Bernd Schmitt, June Cotte, Markus Giesler, Andrew Stephen and Stacy Wood

More articles in Journal of Consumer Research from Journal of Consumer Research Inc.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().