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Linking sources of consumer confusion to decision satisfaction: The role of choice goals

Linking sources of consumer confusion to decision satisfaction: The role of choice goals
Linking sources of consumer confusion to decision satisfaction: The role of choice goals

Previous empirical research on the relationship between consumer confusion and customer satisfaction has largely neglected the role of choice goals. In a context of technologically complex products, the authors analyze the effect of selected choice goals on the consumer confusion-decision satisfaction link. The empirical findings, which are based on a field study of smart phone users, show that different sources of confusion have distinctive effects on choice goals, which in turn influence decision satisfaction. For example, while confusion caused by ambiguous information and choice overload is found to reduce choice confidence, perceived attribute similarity between products or brands increases choice confidence. Among the choice goals, evaluation costs and negative affect are found to increase decision satisfaction. The findings have important implications for marketers and consumer policymakers in terms of marketing communication and customer satisfaction.

0742-6046
295-304
Wang, Qing
064c8347-5758-4d8c-be5e-c710707c6061
Shukla, Paurav
d3acd968-350b-40cf-890b-12c2e7aaa49d
Wang, Qing
064c8347-5758-4d8c-be5e-c710707c6061
Shukla, Paurav
d3acd968-350b-40cf-890b-12c2e7aaa49d

Wang, Qing and Shukla, Paurav (2013) Linking sources of consumer confusion to decision satisfaction: The role of choice goals. Psychology and Marketing, 30 (4), 295-304. (doi:10.1002/mar.20606).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Previous empirical research on the relationship between consumer confusion and customer satisfaction has largely neglected the role of choice goals. In a context of technologically complex products, the authors analyze the effect of selected choice goals on the consumer confusion-decision satisfaction link. The empirical findings, which are based on a field study of smart phone users, show that different sources of confusion have distinctive effects on choice goals, which in turn influence decision satisfaction. For example, while confusion caused by ambiguous information and choice overload is found to reduce choice confidence, perceived attribute similarity between products or brands increases choice confidence. Among the choice goals, evaluation costs and negative affect are found to increase decision satisfaction. The findings have important implications for marketers and consumer policymakers in terms of marketing communication and customer satisfaction.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 25 February 2013
Published date: 1 April 2013

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 430704
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/430704
ISSN: 0742-6046
PURE UUID: 21ba3fd2-7e43-4eb0-835d-0effc79bfbf9
ORCID for Paurav Shukla: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1957-8622

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Date deposited: 08 May 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:39

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Contributors

Author: Qing Wang
Author: Paurav Shukla ORCID iD

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