Choice options almost always have some information that is unavailable. Some researchers have argued that consumers do not form inferences in these situations, while others have shown that consumers rely on existing attributes to infer missing ones. This paper focuses on what happens to choices...

Most purchases involve choices among options with incomplete attribute information. In such situations, consumers often have the option not to choose any of the alternatives to avoid uncertainty. Alternatively, consumers can make inferences about the missing attributes. These inferences may...

This article shows how methods for the analysis of moment structures based on latent variates can be used to investigate theories hypothesizing interactive effects of exogenous constructs on endogenous constructs. Building on the work of Kenny and Judd, the authors discuss the specification of...

This study examines the role of optimum stimulation level (SOL) in exploratory consumer behavior. The concept of SOL and its measurement are discussed, and the literature on exploratory consumer tendencies and their relationship with SOL is reviewed. Hypotheses are developed concerning the...

We investigate how extraneous or incidental emotions influence product evaluations as a function of consumers' salient goals. By manipulating specific emotions that correspond closely to two basic categories of human goals (achievement vs. protection), we extend affect-as-information theory and...

Personality research has long been a fringe player in the study of consumer behavior. Little research is directly devoted to personality issues, and if consumer personality is investigated at all, it tends to be from the narrow perspective of developing yet another individual difference measure...