Some Consequences of Category Ambiguity: a Comparison of Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Products

This paper compares the categorization process of hybrid and non-hybrid products and explores the assumption that hybrid products are ambiguous, that is, that they have the potential for multiple interpretations of category membership. Two exploratory studies, one with a familiar and one with an unfamiliar non-hybrid/hybrid product pair, explore this assumption and several of its proposed consequences. Study 1 shows that the familiar hybrid television-video recorder is perceived as more ambiguous, requires greater cognitive effort and is odder than the familiar non-hybrid discman. Both products are classified equally accurate. Study 2 suggests that the effect of hybridness on categorization disappears when consumers are familiar with the products they need to categorize.

Citation:

Kaj Morel (2005) ,"Some Consequences of Category Ambiguity: a Comparison of Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Products", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 7, eds. Karin M. Ekstrom and Helene Brembeck, Goteborg, Sweden : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 97-103.