Choosing Where To Eat Versus What To Eat: the Effects Of Choice Order And Construal Level
Open Access
- Author:
- Kwon, Eunjin
- Graduate Program:
- Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 29, 2016
- Committee Members:
- Anna S Mattila, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Anna S Mattila, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Hubert Van Hoof, Committee Member
Michael J Tews Jr., Committee Member
Deborah Lee Kerstetter, Committee Member
Karen Page Winterich, Committee Member - Keywords:
- choice
construal level
consumer behavior
restaurant
menu - Abstract:
- This research examines the underlying psychological mechanisms on the effects of choice order (in the sequence of assortment-option vs. option-assortment) in a restaurant setting. Previous literature shows that the representation of an event in abstract (vs. concrete) terms and perceived temporal distance have important consequences for cognition and motivation. However, less is studied about the factors that influence construal level and temporal focus. One Pilot Study and three experiments identified that choice order is a contextual factor influencing construal level. Our results show that consumers adopt an abstract vs. concrete mindset, depending on the sequence of choices (assortment-option sequence vs. option-assortment sequence). In addition, this research shows that an assortment-option sequence is associated with a more distal temporal perspective, whereas an option-assortment sequence is associated with a more proximal temporal perspective. Our findings demonstrate that the match (vs. mismatch) between choice order and construal level enhances consumer attitudes and anticipated satisfaction. Furthermore, we identified choice order as a key moderator to the desire for a large choice set. The findings show that individuals who choose assortment first have increased preferences for a large choice set. When choosing an option first, the preference for large assortments diminishes. We also demonstrate that when consumers experience the matching effect, consumers show heightened levels of anticipated satisfaction with the chosen choice set regardless of their actual choice of the choice set. These results add to the construal level theory, choice literature, and assortment literature, and provide practical implications for marketers.