THESIS
2015
v leaves, vi-x, 103 pages : illustrations ; 30 cm
Abstract
Past work on connecting vs. separating mindsets has looked at how these mindsets
activate a tendency to make connections or parse out information. I extend the existing
literature to demonstrate how these tendencies affect information processing and highlight
some of the downstream implications of these tendencies. I suggest that these tendencies to
connect or separate lead people to differ in the number of aspects or dimensions that become
salient when they look at a stimulus configuration. These differences in the number of
accessible dimensions then influence judgments and decisions in two very different
consumption situations–persuasion and product customization.
In the persuasion domain, I show through a series of studies that when people look at
an ad, they tend to think...[
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Past work on connecting vs. separating mindsets has looked at how these mindsets
activate a tendency to make connections or parse out information. I extend the existing
literature to demonstrate how these tendencies affect information processing and highlight
some of the downstream implications of these tendencies. I suggest that these tendencies to
connect or separate lead people to differ in the number of aspects or dimensions that become
salient when they look at a stimulus configuration. These differences in the number of
accessible dimensions then influence judgments and decisions in two very different
consumption situations–persuasion and product customization.
In the persuasion domain, I show through a series of studies that when people look at
an ad, they tend to think about the endorser and the message in different ways. Those with a
connecting mindset are more inclined to use multiple dimensions to think of how the two are
related. However, those with a separating mindset use fewer, more obvious dimensions to
connect them. These differences in the number of dimensions considered as a basis for
connecting the elements later affects perceptions of fit and how persuasive the ad is. Another
series of studies in the customization domain shows that when people have an assortment of
ingredients to choose from while customizing their product, those with a connecting mindset
are more likely to think of ways in which the different ingredients are related. This leads to
the activation of more dimensions, which then affects the number of possible combinations
they generate. In contrast, those with a separating mindset are less likely to focus on how the
options are related. Consequently, fewer dimensions are activated and fewer possible
combinations are generated. This difference in the number of possible combinations that are
generated affects the perceived richness of the assortment and consumers’ willingness to pay
for the combination they eventually choose.
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