In 2009 the three academics On Amir, Dan Ariely and Leonard Lee published the article "In Search of Homo Economicus" in the Journal of Consumer Research (JCR). After having conducted five experiments the conclusion of this article was that people who put more trust
in their feelings show more consistent preferences than people who base their decisions on analytics and deliberation. Supported was that resulting conclusion of the psychological fundamental that emotions are nothing more than efficient programmes, designed by evolution to ensure species preserving reactions on external influences. The author of the present paper tested the aforementioned tenor critically by setting up two experiments using
the previous work by Amir, Ariely and Lee as a basis. In the first experiment 131 probands were tested, in a second slightly modified experiment 26 persons participated in the experiment. After several tests of the collected data material the conclusion of Amir, Ariely
and Lee cannot be supported. In fact, data of persons who are assumed to be deliberate thinkers showed lower numbers of errors.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Basis
2.1 Emotional Versus Cognitive Decision Making
2.2 The Measure Of Inconsistency
2.3 Priming
2.4 The Experimental Setup Of Amir, Ariely And Lee
2.4.1 Experiment 1A by Amir, Ariely and Lee
2.4.2 Experiment 1B by Amir, Ariely and Lee
2.4.3 Experiment 2 by Amir, Ariely and Lee
2.4.4 Experiment 3 by Amir, Ariely and Lee
2.4.5 Experiment 4 by Amir, Ariely and Lee
2.5 Metaphors And Their Influence On Human Behavior
2.6 The Unpaired Sample T-Test
2.7 The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney-Test (Also Called Mann-Whitney-U-Test)
3. Research Hypothesis
4. Our Experimental Set Up
5. Proband Recruitment And Proband Pool For Marketing Chair
6. Introduction Into Collected Experimental Data
7. Testing For Differences Between Groups
7.1 Test For Difference Between Full And Sliced Group
7.1.1 Test for difference between full and sliced group without outliers
7.1.2 Test for difference between full and sliced group without super consistent probands
7.1.3 Test for difference between full and sliced group without outliers and without super consistent probands
7.1.4 Test for difference between full and sliced group considering complete data sets only
7.2 Test For Difference Between Full And Sliced Group Within Interquartile Ranges
7.2.1 Test for difference between full and sliced group within interquartile range of errors
7.2.2 Test for difference between full and sliced group within interquartile range of reading time
7.2.3 Test for difference between full and sliced group within interquartile range of age
7.3 Test For Difference Between Full And Sliced Group Concerning Age
7.3.1 Test for difference between full and sliced group concerning people in the typical age of students
7.3.2 Test for difference between full and sliced group concerning people older than students
7.4 Test For Difference Between Full And Sliced Group Regarding Genders
7.4.1 Test for difference between full and sliced group regarding women
7.4.2 Test for difference between full and sliced group regarding women without super consistent probands
7.4.3 Test for difference between full and sliced group regarding men
7.4.4 Test for difference between full and sliced group regarding men without super consistent probands
7.5 Test For Difference Between Full And Sliced Group Regarding The Daytime Of Data Recording
7.5.1 Test for difference between full and sliced group between nine a.m. and twelve a.m.
7.5.2 Test for difference between full and sliced group between one p.m. and five p.m.
8. Modified Experiment
8.1 Set Up Of Modified Experiment
8.2 Descriptives Of Modified Experiment
8.3 Hypothesis Testing
9. Critique
9.1 Critique Regarding The Experimental Set Up Of Amir, Ariely And Lee
9.2 Critique Regarding The Experimental Set Up Of Lee And Schwarz
9.3 Critique Regarding The Evaluation Methodology Of Amir, Ariely And Lee
10. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This master thesis investigates the relationship between cognitive versus emotional decision-making processes and the resulting preference consistency of consumers. By conducting a series of experiments and critically testing the hypothesis—originally proposed by Amir, Ariely, and Lee—that emotional reliance leads to higher consistency, the work aims to determine whether providing visual stimuli (sliced fruits vs. full fruits) actually influences preference stability.
- Analysis of emotional versus cognitive decision-making models.
- Methodological replication and critical evaluation of Amir, Ariely, and Lee's preference consistency research.
- Statistical testing of preference consistency using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests across various groups and conditions.
- Evaluation of the influence of cognitive load, age, and time of day on decision outcomes.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Research Hypothesis
In utility theory preferences are an expression for relative and subjective evaluation of the bundles of goods, named A and B. These goods or bundles of goods are evaluated under consideration of their expected satisfaction of the individual's needs (Piekenbrock, 2011). Due to inherent degree of need satisfaction through bundles of goods in the individual one can conclude that the individual's inner evaluation processing is stimulated when being confronted with sliced fruits which show their inner core. So, the research hypothesis for this paper is that probands who are shown sliced fruits reveal a higher level of preference consistency than the group of test persons who were confronted with unsliced, full fruits.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the motivation for integrating neuroscience and marketing, introducing the work of Amir, Ariely, and Lee as the basis for this research.
2. Theoretical Basis: Discusses the psychological distinction between emotion and cognition, the methodology of paired comparisons, and the role of priming in experimental setups.
3. Research Hypothesis: Formulates the central hypothesis that visual cues (sliced fruits) increase preference consistency compared to neutral (full) fruits.
4. Our Experimental Set Up: Details the design of the experiments, including the procedure, product selection, and the use of E-Prime software to record participant decisions.
5. Proband Recruitment And Proband Pool For Marketing Chair: Explains the recruitment strategies used to acquire 131 participants and the creation of a pool for future research.
6. Introduction Into Collected Experimental Data: Provides an initial descriptive statistical overview of the gathered data, including means and standard deviations.
7. Testing For Differences Between Groups: Performs extensive statistical testing to compare preference consistency under varying conditions, such as age, gender, and daytime.
8. Modified Experiment: Describes a follow-up experiment with adjusted parameters, such as color-coded stimuli and extended decision times.
9. Critique: Offers a critical reflection on the original experiments by Amir, Ariely, and Lee, as well as the methodology used for this research.
10. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, noting that the original hypothesis could not be confirmed and suggesting that deliberation may actually lead to higher consistency.
Keywords
preference consistency, emotions, decision making, cognitive load, priming, paired comparisons, neuroscience, marketing research, statistical analysis, transitivity, experimental psychology, consumer behavior, deliberate thinking, null hypothesis, data distribution
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research explores the impact of emotional versus cognitive stimuli on consumer preference consistency, specifically challenging the theory that emotional reliance improves decision consistency.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
Key themes include utility theory, paired comparison methodology, the effects of priming on decision-making, and the application of statistical tests to validate psychological hypotheses.
What is the main objective or research question?
The core research question is whether exposing test subjects to sliced fruits (emotional stimuli) results in more consistent preferences than exposing them to full, unsliced fruits.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The author utilized experimental design, quantitative data collection through computer-based product evaluations, and non-parametric statistical analysis, specifically the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.
What does the main body cover?
It covers theoretical frameworks, the detailed setup of two experimental series, exhaustive statistical subgroup analyses, and a critical methodological review of existing literature.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
The paper is characterized by terms such as preference consistency, decision-making, priming, statistical distribution (exponential vs. normal), and consumer behavior.
How does the author view the "Homo Economicus" concept in light of these experiments?
The author critically examines the role of cognitive noise and emotional responses, ultimately suggesting that deliberate, rational thinking—rather than emotional impulse—may lead to higher preference consistency.
How does the daytime of the experiment affect the results?
Based on the performance curve model by Rothfuchs, the author investigates whether student participants showed improved cognitive performance and different consistency patterns depending on the time of day they were tested.
- Arbeit zitieren
- David Busse (Autor:in), 2011, At the core: Metaphors and Preference Consistency, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/177539
