Do Means-End Chains Exist? Experimental Tests of Their Hierarchicity, Automatic Spreading Activation, Directionality, and Self-Relevance

EXTENDED ABSTRACT - Despite its popularity in consumer research, means-end chain theory suffers from problems of unconfirmed validity: the nomological status of its central construct, the means-end chain, is still unknown. The aim of the research reported here was threefold: (a) to reformulate means-end chain theory in a coherent theoretical framework, (b) to derive falsifiable predictions from the framework, and (c) to test these predictions by established experimental methods.

Citation:

Joachim Scholderer and Klaus G. Grunert (2005) ,"Do Means-End Chains Exist? Experimental Tests of Their Hierarchicity, Automatic Spreading Activation, Directionality, and Self-Relevance", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 32, eds. Geeta Menon and Akshay R. Rao, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 530-530.