When More Is Less and Less Is More: The Role of Ideal Point Availability and Assortment in Consumer Choice
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- 1 September 2003
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Consumer Research
- Vol. 30 (2) , 170-183
- https://doi.org/10.1086/376808
Abstract
Contrary to the common wisdom that more choice is always better, selections made from large assortments can lead to weaker preferences. Building on the extant literature, this research identifies ideal point availability as a key factor moderating the impact of assortment on choice. It is proposed that, in the case of large assortments, ideal point availability can simplify choice, leading to a stronger preference for the selected alternative. In contrast, for choices made from smaller assortments, ideal point availability is proposed to have the opposite effect, leading to weaker preferences. Data obtained from four experiments lend support for the theory and the empirical predictions advanced in this article.Keywords
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