Marketing

In this paper we propose a model for describing consumer decision making among assortments or menus of options from which a single option will be chosen at a later time. Central to the derivation of the model is an assumption that consumers are uncertain about their future preferences. The model captures both the utility of the items within the assortments as well as the flexibility the items offer as a group. We support our model empirically with two laboratory experiments. In the first experiment we test the underlying assumptions.

Similarity scaling often requires subjects to produce such a large number of judgments that fatigue may become a problem. Yet it remains unclear just how respondent fatigue affects similarity perceptions and resulting judgments. The present study uses a categorization perspective to examine the effects of fatigue on similarity judgments. The results suggest that subjects rely increasingly on category membership as they progress through a similarity judgment task.

Meta-analysis has become a popular approach for studying systematic variation in parameter estimates across studies. This article discusses the use of meta-analysis results as prior information in a new study. Although hierarchical prior distributions in a traditional Bayesian framework are characterized by complete exchangeability, meta-analysis priors explicitly incorporate heterogeneity in prior vectors.

This article presents an exploratory investigation into longitudinal patterns of influence in group decision-making. In particular, we focus on how the outcomes of past decisions affect group members' relative influence in future joint decisions. Results suggest that past outcomes play an important role in the resolution of disagreements when group member preferences are equally intense. Losers in prior decisions are likely to win in the future (and vice versa) due to what appears to be promotion of equity in the group.

A central assumption of meta-analysis is that the sample of studies fairly represents all work done in the field, published and unpublished. However, if studies with "poor" results are less likely to be published, a potential publication bias is present. The authors propose a maximum likelihood approach to estimating publication bias for the situation in which censorship based on effect size may occur. An explicit hypothesis test is provided for testing whether or not censorship is present.

The ultimate success of new product R&D depends as much on customer acceptance as on technological breakthroughs. In this article, Susan Holak and Donald Lehmann focus on customer acceptance by exploring the manner in which the general attributes of Rogers (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, divisibility and communicability) plus perceived risk combine to form the intention to buy an innovation. Results demonstrate a causal structure among these attributes and lead to various implications for R&D guidelines and product design.

Cet article s'articule le long de trois thèmes progressant de la nécessité d'étudier en marketing les reactions affectives jusqu'á une mise en evidence des spécificités de leurs mesures.