Assimilation and Contrast：Dimensional Range Overlap Model as an Explanation of Anchoring Effect on Product Judgment

• Main Authors: Yi-Chen Wu, 吳宜珍
• Other Authors: Chung-Chaing Hsiao
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/35417794177402248936

碩士 === 國立清華大學 === 科技管理研究所 === 95 === The present study applied the Dimensional Range Overlap Model proposed by Chien, (2002) to explain the anchoring effect on product judgment. Among previous literature review, anchoring effect proposed by Tversky and Kahneman, (1974) suggests that while evaluating unfamiliar target, people are sensitive to absolute value of former information and end in judgment effects similar to assimilation effect. At the same time, we also used the model which demonstrates a more thorough perspective and greater general principle to explain the occurrence of assimilation and contrast effects to solve discrepancies among previous studies. Between-subjects factorial design was used to test our hypotheses in this research. Two studies were conducted and in study 1 given numerical anchoring exemplars within target-category, we were probing into when interpretation ranges between target and numerical anchor exemplars overlap, there was an assimilation effect; when interpretation ranges between target and numerical anchor exemplars did not overlap, there was a contrast effect. In study 2 given numerical anchoring exemplars non- target-category, we were probing into context effect appearing under overlap/non-overlap interpretation range of target and exemplar condition. Finally, the result demonstrated that assimilation and contrast effects were determined by whether there is an overlap between the target’ range and the numerical anchor exemplar ‘s range on the interpretation judgmental dimension. In addition, the current study also examined absolute value of anchor was not the key factor to affect context effect. With this conclusion, anchoring effect was not the absolute factor to affect product judgment, and context effect appearing depends on the interpretation ranges of the target’s and the numerical anchor exemplars’ overlapping or no overlapping. Several marketing implication can be provided for marketing executives to better understand the mechanism of context effect and make use of the context to promote their own brands or products under limited resource.