An implicit product theory approach to consumers' inferential judgments about products

This article builds on the idea that consumers use (possibly unconscious) expected relationships between product attributes when they have to draw inferences about uncertain product characteristics. These individuals' expectancies regarding the way product attributes are related are conceived of as composing implicit product theories. The paper illustrates the existence of these implicit product theories and addresses some of the key methodological and conceptual issues that deserve future attention within the suggested paradigm.