Setting the Stage Or Making the Final Cut: the Timing of Control in the Choice Process

We investigate how choosing at different stages of the decision process influences outcome satisfaction. We compare situations in which people control the consideration set formation, but not the final choice, to situations in which they control the final choice, but not the consideration set formation. Results show that when options were unambiguous, those who controlled the choice set were more satisfied than those who controlled the final choice, but this effect disappeared when options were ambiguous. We explain these results based on people’s differential ability to prepare for loss of control and make peace with their choice outcome.



Citation:

Simona Botti and Tom Meyvis (2007) ,"Setting the Stage Or Making the Final Cut: the Timing of Control in the Choice Process", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 34, eds. Gavan Fitzsimons and Vicki Morwitz, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 417-420.

Authors

Simona Botti, Cornell University, US
Tom Meyvis, New York University, US



Volume

NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 34 | 2007



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