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Malleable conjoint partworths: How the breadth of response scales alters price sensitivity
Author(s) -
Chakravarti Amitav,
Grenville Andrew,
Morwitz Vicki G.,
Tang Jane,
Ülkümen Gülden
Publication year - 2013
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.2012.10.013
Subject(s) - conjoint analysis , task (project management) , salient , scale (ratio) , psychology , sample (material) , econometrics , sensitivity (control systems) , economics , social psychology , cognitive psychology , microeconomics , preference , computer science , artificial intelligence , chemistry , physics , management , chromatography , quantum mechanics , electronic engineering , engineering
In one laboratory study and one field study conducted with a large, representative sample of respondents, we show that seemingly innocuous questions that precede a conjoint task, such as demographic and usage‐related screening questions can alter the price sensitivities recovered from the main conjoint task. The findings demonstrate that whether these prior questions use broad response categories (i.e., few scale points) or narrow response categories (i.e., many scale points) systematically influences consumers' price sensitivity in a CBC (Choice Based Conjoint) study. We suggest that this may occur because the narrow (vs. broad) response categories in the prior questions lead to consideration of a greater (vs. fewer) number of attributes during the key conjoint task. Since both groups of consumers readily consider the naturally salient price attribute, responding to previous questions with narrow (vs. broad) response categories leads to a greater (vs. fewer) number of non‐price attributes being considered, and consequently, decrease the weight afforded to price and reduce price sensitivity.