Choice Set Configuration as a Determinant of Preference Attribution and Strength

Song-Oh Yoon and Itamar Simonson

Journal of Consumer Research, 2008, vol. 35, issue 2, 324-336

Abstract: Despite the growing consensus that consumer preferences are often constructed when decisions are made, we still know very little about the factors that determine the strength and stability of constructed preferences. We propose that the manner in which preferences are formed has a significant effect on their strength and stability. In particular, we propose that option set configuration, asymmetric dominance versus compromise, drives the decision process and whether consumers (consciously) focus on the chosen option or the context. This, in turn, affects the resulting decision process trace, as reflected in choice stability, confidence, and attribution. The results of five studies support this proposition. Thus, the strength of constructed preferences is a function of choice problem characteristics and the construction process. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Date: 2008
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/587630 link to full text (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

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:v:35:y:2008:i:2:p:324-336

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 ().