To Each His Own? How Comparisons with Others Influence Consumers’ Evaluations of Their Self-Designed Products
Journal of Consumer Research · 2010 · Volume 36 · Issue 5
Abstract
The vast majority of consumer behavior research has examined how consumers respond to products that are offered on a “take it or leave it” basis by the manufacturer. Self-design changes the rules substantially, allowing consumers to have much more control over the product’s characteristics. This research examines the factors influencing consumers’ evaluations of self-designed products. Three studies demonstrate that a superior fit between consumers’ underlying preferences and their customized products cannot fully explain self-design evaluations. Comparisons with designers of comparable products can significantly influence evaluations as well. The first two experiments examine how social comparisons with the designers of similar “off-the-rack” products influence evaluations, identifying two key moderators useful in overcoming the negative effects of an upward comparison. A third study uses a real online design task to gain understanding of how the timing of the social comparison moderates the direction of the comparison (upward vs. equivalent) to influence evaluations.
Keywords
Aesthetic/Hedonic Consumption, Experimental Design and Analysis (ANOVA), Motivation/Desires/Goals, Product Design and Perceptions
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