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Structural comparison and consumer choice
Author(s) -
Markman Arthur B.,
Loewenstein Jeffrey
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of consumer psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.433
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1532-7663
pISSN - 1057-7408
DOI - 10.1016/j.jcps.2010.01.002
Subject(s) - parallels , analogy , similarity (geometry) , set (abstract data type) , process (computing) , structural approach , affect (linguistics) , work (physics) , choice set , structural similarity , consumer choice , psychology , cognitive psychology , computer science , microeconomics , artificial intelligence , economics , econometrics , epistemology , communication , image (mathematics) , structural change , operations management , mechanical engineering , philosophy , engineering , macroeconomics , programming language , operating system
Abstract Psychological research has demonstrated important parallels between the structural alignment process involved in judgments of similarity and the processes that are involved in analogical reasoning. Gradually, this work on comparisons was applied to consumer choice. In this paper, we review the influence of structural alignment on choices among a set of options. Then, we discuss extensions of this work to comparative advertising and to the role of analogy in marketing communication. Finally, we discuss important extensions to structural alignment suggested by this work such as the key role that affect plays in comparisons made during the choice process.