Lynch and Schwarz offer different assessments of the "mission accomplished" conclusion and the summary of the manner in which BDT research tested well-established economics assumptions and offered an alternative view of decision making. By and large Lynch and I are in agreement regarding the...

A main objective of Behavioral Decision Theory (BDT) research--demonstrating that economic theory often fails as a description of decision making as well as gaining insights into systematic influences on judgment and choice--has been largely accomplished. This research program, published in...

The findings and value of market research depend critically on consumers' understanding of the research objectives and their roles. The present research presents a three-phase investigation of the impact of research participants' theories about their roles: (a) identifying the theories, (b)...

Although the argument that unconscious inputs are often key determinants of consumer decision making is compelling, it may be overstated, particularly with respect to consumer choice. A comparison of the role of conscious inputs (e.g., the attributes of options in the choice set) and unconscious...

We propose that the variety a brand offers can influence brand quality perceptions, and consequently, affect brand choice, even when the available option set is held constant. Specifically, brands that offer greater variety of compatible (i.e., focused and internally consistent) options are...

In a choice between any two options, decision makers can be divided into three segments: those who strongly prefer the first option, those who strongly prefer the second option, and those who might choose either option depending on the particular conditions ("switchers"). In any reference state,...

We utilize an experimental 'Speed Dating' service to examine racial preferences in mate selection. Our data allow for the direct observation of individual decisions of randomly paired individuals; we may therefore directly infer racial preferences, which was not possible in prior studies. We...

Over the past decade, marketers have been challenged by proponents of individual marketing (e.g., one-to-one marketing, mass customization, personalization) to shift from a focus on market segments to making individually customized offers. Specifically, marketers should develop "learning...