To Take or Not to Take the Only One: Effects of Changing the Meaning of a Product Attribute on Choice Behavior

Abstract

It was hypothesized that for females and children under the age of 11, the probability of choosing a unique product could be influenced by controlling the valence of the resulting dispositional attribution. A label was used to increase the availability of a positive attribution (“I will be unique”) versus a negative one (“I will be selfish”). Labeled females and younger children were significantly more likely to choose the unique product than were their control group counterparts.