Shape- and Trait-Congruency: Using Appearance-based Cues as a Basis for Product Recommendations
Beth Vallen, Karthik Sridhar, Dan Rubin, Veronika Ilyuk, Lauren G. Block, Jennifer J. Argo
Journal of Consumer Psychology · 2019 · Volume 29 · Issue 2
Abstract
This research demonstrates that a consumer's physical appearance—and, more specifically, his or her body size—predictably influences the product(s) that the consumer is recommended. Four studies conducted in both field and lab settings show that agents more frequently recommend round (vs. angular) shaped products to heavier targets, notably for products and categories in which body size is irrelevant (e.g., lamps and perfume). We attribute this to a combination of shape-congruency and trait-congruency, whereby individuals choose products for others based on shared dimensions of the person and product.
Keywords
Agents, Recommendations, Word of Mouth, Field Experiments, Attributions and inference making
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