Paraskevidekatriaphobia: the Effect of Superstition on Risk-Taking Behavior

Despite the large impact that superstitious beliefs have on the marketplace, we currently know very little about their implications for consumer behavior. We document the existence and robustness of the influence of superstitious beliefs on judgment and decision-making, specify their unconscious underlying properties, and identify potential moderators. In particular, we demonstrate that consumers make more risk-averse choices when the potential for bad luck is made salient. Furthermore, these effects are obtained through an unconscious process. We further demonstrate that the effects of superstitious beliefs are greater under conditions of high uncertainty.



Citation:

Thomas Kramer and Lauren Block (2007) ,"Paraskevidekatriaphobia: the Effect of Superstition on Risk-Taking Behavior", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8, eds. Stefania Borghini, Mary Ann McGrath, and Cele Otnes, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 443-443.

Authors

Thomas Kramer, Baruch College, City University of New York; USA
Lauren Block, Baruch College, City University of New York; USA



Volume

E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8 | 2007



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