Conceptual Combination and Categorization of Ambiguous Products

A robust finding in the categorization literature has been the finding that inferences about an object are limited to a single category. The present article examines how inferences about multiple categories can be induced for a single object. We utilize findings from the conceptual combination literature and show that priming respondents with property interpretations can overcome the single inference problem. We further examine the effect of multiple category inferences on brand attitudes and find that both category-consistent and category-inconsistent attributes predict brand attitudes under property interpretations. Our findings contribute to the literatures in categorization and conceptual combinations.

Citation:

Priyali Rajagopal and Robert Burnkrant (2007) ,"Conceptual Combination and Categorization of Ambiguous Products", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 34, eds. Gavan Fitzsimons and Vicki Morwitz, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 152-156.