| dc.description.abstract | This dissertation sought to reveal whether consumer characteristics and product attributes moderate the influences of context valence and anchors for assimilation and contrast effects. Specific context valence (positive and negative) and anchors (similarity and dissimilarity) were manipulated in six different experiments to investigate this issue.
The Study 1 to 3 explore whether assimilation and contrast effects are present depending on consumer characteristics (product familiarity, product knowledge, and mood state). The results of Study 1 suggest that product familiarity moderates the influences of context valence and anchors for assimilation and contrast effects. When an object was completely novel to the individual, perception of it assimilated to context valence in the similarity condition, which generated an assimilation effect. When an object was completely familiar to individuals, they had firm ideas about the object which activated a perception of dissimilarity in the comparative process and generated a contrast effect in the dissimilarity condition.
Study 2 explores the effect of product knowledge on the relationships among context valence, anchors and assimilation and contrast effects. The results indicate that individuals possessing high product knowledge will challenge the prime knowledge structure and further compare dissimilarities between the target and contexts, resulting in a contrast effect in the dissimilarity condition. Individuals with low product knowledge are susceptible to context effects, resulting in an assimilation effect regardless of whether they were exposed to the similarity or dissimilarity condition.
Study 3 investigates the effect of an individual’s mood state, context valence, and anchors for assimilation and contrast effects. The results indicate that when individuals experiencing positive moods compare an object with the context, they are susceptible to the context valence, and thereby generate an assimilation effect. However, when individuals are experiencing negative moods, they tend to focus on dissimilarities and demonstrate a contrast effect.
Study 4 to 6 investigate how assimilation and contrast effects differ depending on product attributes (product designer, product country-of-origin, and product origin). Study 4 investigates the influence of product designer on context valence and anchors for assimilation and contrast effects. The results were significant; however, they did not support the original hypotheses. The results indicated that when a product is created by a professional designer, people tend to assimilate the product with the context under the dissimilarity condition. However, when a product is created by a non-professional, people tend to contrast the product with the context under the similarity condition.
Study 5 tests the effects of product country-of-origin, context valence, and anchors for assimilation and contrast effects. The results indicate that when the ingredients of the product are from a local source, individuals demonstrate an assimilation effect in the similarity condition, whereas when the ingredients of the product are imported, individuals tend to make further comparisons which lead to contrast effects under the dissimilarity condition.
Study 6 investigated whether context valence and anchors lead to assimilation or contrast effects, employing product origin as a moderator. The results suggest that when the product came from an international hotel, individuals demonstrated assimilation effects in the similarity condition, while when the product came from a domestic hotel, they instead made additional comparisons and demonstrated contrast effects under the dissimilarity condition. Based on these results, implications are outlined and suggestions for future research are made. | en_US |