WHOLE VERSUS PARTS: THREE ESSAYS ON THE ROLE OF MENTAL PARTITIONS IN CONSUMER JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING

JIA MIAOLEI

Publication

WHOLE VERSUS PARTS: THREE ESSAYS ON THE ROLE OF MENTAL PARTITIONS IN CONSUMER JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING

JIA MIAOLEI

Abstract

This dissertation examines the role of mental partitions (i.e. an overarching entity vs. constituent categories) in consumer judgment and decision making. In the first two essays, I investigate how mental partitions influence consumers’ numerical estimations; in the last essay, I examine how visual cues affect the sense of completeness. In Essay 1 “The Influence of Budgeting Approach on Budget Setting and Spending,” I examine whether different approaches of financial budget setting would lead to different budgets set and lower consumers’ spending. In Essay 2 “Contraction with Unpacking: When More Categories Lead to Lower Calorie Budgets,” I investigate whether different approaches of calorie budget setting would lead to different budgets set and reduce calorie consumption. In Essay 3 “How Visual Communication of a Set Impacts Perceived Set Completeness and Component Importance,” I investigate how visual cues could create a sense of completeness for a set of products or items.