Regulatory Focus, Regulatory Fit, and the Search and Consideration of Choice Alternatives

Michel Tuan Pham and Hannah H. Chang

Journal of Consumer Research, 2010, vol. 37, issue 4, 626-640

Abstract: This research investigates the effects of regulatory focus on alternative search and consideration set formation in consumer decision making. Results from three experiments yield two primary findings. First, promotion-focused consumers tend to search for alternatives at a more global level, whereas prevention-focused consumers tend to search for alternatives at a more local level. Second, promotion-focused consumers tend to have larger consideration sets than do prevention-focused consumers. Building on these two primary findings, it is additionally shown that whereas promotion-focused consumers attach relatively greater value to options chosen from hierarchically structured sets, prevention-focused consumers attach relatively greater value to options chosen from nonhierarchically structured item lists. Finally, whereas promotion-focused consumers attach significantly greater value to options chosen from larger sets than to options chosen from smaller sets, prevention-focused consumers do not attach significantly less value to options chosen from larger sets than to options chosen from smaller sets. (c) 2010 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:37:y:2010:i:4:p:626-640

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