Measurement & Modeling Issues in Consumer Behavior

SB13.1 The Evolution of Preferences & Choice Behaviors of Consumers in a New Market

• Carrie M. Heilman; Washington University, Olin Sch. of Bus., Box 1133, 1 Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO 63130;
• Douglas Bowman; Emory University, Goizueta Sch. of Bus., Atlanta, GA 30322; doug_bowman@bus.emory.edu
• Gordon P. Wright; Purdue University, Krannert Grad. Sch. of Mgmt., West Lafayette, IN 47907; gordy@mgmt.purdue.edu

We examine how customer loyalty, price sensitivity and brand preferences evolve over purchases made by consumers who are new to a category. Our theory is based on the notion that the desire to collect information about alternatives and risk aversion to lesser known brands (i.e., private labels) drive initial brand choices. Once information search is completed, subsequent choices reveal loyalty to a preferred brand(s).

SB13.2 When & Why does Consumer Stockpiling Accelerate Consumption Volume?

• Pierre Chandon; London Business School, Sussex Place, Regent's Park, London, NW1 45A , England, UK; pchandon@lbs.ac.uk
• Brian Wansink; University of Illinois, Champaign, IL;

Managers and researchers often assume that each individual has a fixed level of consumption from which different brands can draw. We show how the household stockpiling that can result from sales promotions can accelerate consumption and increase primary demand. By integrating the psychological and economic antecedents of product consumption, a framework is developed...

SB13.3 The Fault is Not in Our Scales but in Ourselves: How Response Styles Weaken Correlations from Surveys

• Eric Greenleaf; NYU, Stern Sch. of Business, 44 West 4th St., Rm. 8-94, New York, NY 10012-1126;
• Geeta Menon; NYU, Stern Sch. of Business, 44 West 4th St., Rm. 8-94, New York, NY 10012;
• Barbara Bickart; Rutgers University, School of Bus.;

We examine how response styles weaken true correlations between marketing variables measured with rating scales, which adds to weakening already caused by scale discreteness. We find empirically that the former often exceeds the latter and assess how it reduces statistical power and distorts market research.

SB13.4 Comparison between Pre- & Post-Purchase Product Evaluation Processes: Exploring Nature of Enduring, Receding & Emerging Evaluative Criteria

• Kimberly Taylor; Florida International University, Mktg. Dept., University Park, Miami, FL 33199;
• Mary Jane Burns; ;

Little previous research specifically links consumers' pre-purchase and post-purchase evaluations. We propose a descriptive framework of the ways in which these 2 sets of criteria might differ, i.e. some types of criteria endure in importance, while others recede or emerge, and test this framework in a laboratory study. Implications of these results for both academic researchers and marketing practitioners are given.