A Protocol Analysis of Brand Choice Strategies Involving Recommendations

Dennis L. Rosen, Richard W. Olshavsky
1987 Journal of Consumer Research  
Subjects completed a purchase decision under a computer-controlled laboratory simulation that enabled acquisition of both attribute-value and recommendation information from five sources. Analysis of subjects' acquisitions and recorded statements during the decision process offered support for the existence of unique decision strategies for situations involving availability of both kinds of information. Based on the manner in which recommendation information was used, these strategies were
more » ... vided into (1) a recommendation-forms-evoked-set (RFES) for consideration, and (2) a recommendation-forms-standard (RFS) for comparison to other brand alternatives. Differences in strategy use between two product categories were explored. M uch laboratory research on consumer decision making and information processing has involved settings where only attribute-value type information is presented, typically from a single source (e.g., Bettman andJacoby 1976; Painton and Gentry 1985; Russo and Rosen 1975) . However, in the real world, the consumer might request brand recommendations from one or more sources to help in the decision process. This study investigated the specific processing strategies that are used when both attribute-value and recommendation information are made available.
doi:10.1086/209126 fatcat:i7n4nezpg5fatpf6ikq7i7fwhi