Showing a tree to sell the forest: The impact of attribute- and alternative-based information presentation on consumers’ choices

Gabriele Pizzi, Daniele Scarpi and Gian Luca Marzocchi

Journal of Economic Psychology, 2014, vol. 42, issue C, 41-51

Abstract: Consumers can be provided with information in either an attribute- or an alternative-based way. We consider the literature on information presentation through the theoretical lenses of the Construal Level Theory. We propose and find that providing product-related information in an attribute- rather than an alternative-based way shifts choices. The attribute-based pattern leads to high construal levels and choices driven by desirability-related, high-level attributes (e.g., design). But when the same information is acquired following the alternative-based pattern, it leads to low construal levels and choices driven by feasibility-related, low-level attributes (e.g., price). As a consequence, choice shares for products whose strength lies in convenience and other feasibility-related features are boosted by the presentation of alternative-based information. Conversely, choice shares for products whose strength lies in design and other desirability-related features are increased by the presentation of attribute-based information. We further find that consumers acquiring information in an alternative-based way envision consumption much closer in the future than those acquiring information in an attribute-based way. Finally, we find that attribute-based information leads to more clicking.

Keywords: Information presentation; Construal-level; Consumer choice; Attribute-based information; Alternative-based information (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:42:y:2014:i:c:p:41-51

DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2013.12.001

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