Dissertation
Two essays on repeated number digits in product evaluation
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001658
Abstract
Numerical information is abundant and plays a crucial role in consumers' purchasing decisions. Factors such as price, units, discounts, warranties, calories, and duration significantly impact product evaluations and choices by conveying numerical data. This dissertation explores the influence of a specific type of numerical information-repeated number digits-on consumers' judgments and decision-making. Essay 1 examines the effect of repeating digits on the perceptions of price and product information in a price bundle. When providing a price bundling promotion, price digits that are the same as bundle quantity (e.g., 2 for $22.22) would increase consumers' liking of the price and intentions to purchase the bundle. Fluency serves as the underlying mechanism of this effect as the easier it is to calculate the unit price and process the numerical information for a price bundling promotion, the higher consumers' liking of the price and intentions to purchase the bundle. Moreover, an individual characteristic shown to influence consumers' purchase decisions involving prices i.e., math anxiety is examined for its moderation effects when processing repeated digits in a price bundle. Essay 2 further digs into the underlying mechanism in a single product or service context, where digits in product descriptions and also repeated in price information (e.g., 2-year warranty, 2 color choices, 2-day delivery, at $22.22). This essay examines the effect of repeating digits on consumers' product evaluations, with repeating digits (vs. unrepeating number digits) increasing the liking of the price and higher purchase intentions. This effect is explained to be a result of 1) increased conceptual fluency when number digits are repeated in price information only and 2) increased perceptual fluency when digits are repeated in both product descriptions and price information. Similar results are observed in different product categories and purchase contexts with one important moderator, consumer persuasion knowledge, which attenuates the effect of repeating digits. I conclude my dissertation with managerial implications and future opportunities.
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Details
- Title
- Two essays on repeated number digits in product evaluation
- Creators
- Jintao Zhang
- Contributors
- Rajneesh Suri (Advisor)Chen Wang (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- ix, 133 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Bennett S. LeBow College of Business; Marketing; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991020668908804721