The Influence of Causal Conditional Reasoning on the Acceptance of Product Claims

Journal of Consumer Research · 2009 · Volume 35 · Issue 6

Abstract

The believability of product claims depends on the consumer's ability to generate disabling conditions (i.e., other events blocking a cause from having its effect) and alternative causes (i.e., other events causing the outcome). The consideration of disabling conditions hurts the believability of product claims supported by arguments stated in a cause → effect and a ∼ effect → ∼cause format, whereas the consideration of alternative causes hurts the believability of product claims supported by arguments stated in an effect → cause and a ∼ cause → ∼effect format. These results have implications for the selection of the most persuasive product claim format.

Keywords

Beliefs, Communication, Inference Making, Persuasion, Experimental Design and Analysis (ANOVA)

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