Preference stability: Modelling how consumer preferences shift after receiving new product information
Last modified: 16 March 2009
Abstract
An assumption made in many applications of stated preference modeling is that preferences remain stable over time and over multiple exposures to information about choice alternatives. However, there are many domains where this assumption can be challenged. One of these is where individuals learn about new products. This paper aims to test how attribute preferences as measured in an experimental choice task shift when respondents are exposed to new product information. The paper presents results from a study investigating consumer preferences for a new consumer electronics product conducted among four hundred respondents from a large consumer panel. Respondents include consumers with higher and lower levels of prior knowledge and interest in this product category. All respondents received several choice tasks and were then able to read additional information about the new product. After this they completed an additional set of choice tasks. All choices were from pairs of new product alternatives that varied across eight attributes designed according to an orthogonal plan. The set of attributes comprised brand name, price, warranty, and various intrinsic product features including one feature that had not been available before in the market. Choice sets always included the option to choose a constant third, non-electronic product alternative. Using heteroscedastic logit modeling the paper analyses the shifts in attribute utilities and scale variances that result from the exposure to product information. The findings reveal how attribute utilities and scale variances vary across the before and after exposure conditions. The results also indicate significant differences in interest to obtain additional product information and in overall willingness to choose the new product instead of the constant non-choice option.
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