Beyond reference price: The role of unmet price expectations in consumers' perceptions of value
Author
Lindsey-Mullikin, Joan MarieIssue Date
1999Advisor
Puto, Christopher P.
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The University of Arizona.Rights
Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.Abstract
This dissertation posits an entirely new approach for understanding the reference price phenomenon. It is proposed that Festinger's (1957) theory of dissonance reduction provides a practical framework for studying situations in which consumers' encountered prices are significantly different from their expectations. The three modes of dissonance reduction initially proposed by Festinger (to change one's attitude or cognition, to seek consonant information, or to trivialize some element of the dissonant relationship) are experimentally manipulated. These three modes of dissonance reduction are then evaluated for their impact on consumers' perceptions of value and consumers' purchase intentions. A computer-controlled shopping experiment is utilized to test the hypotheses.Type
textDissertation-Reproduction (electronic)
Degree Name
Ph.D.Degree Level
doctoralDegree Program
Graduate CollegeIndustrial Management