across three studies, this research elucidates when loss-versus gainframed messages are most effective in influencing consumer recycling by examining the moderating role of whether a more concrete or abstract mind-set is activated. First, in a field study, the authors demonstrate that loss frames are more efficacious when paired with low-level, concrete mind-sets, whereas gain frames are more effective when paired with high-level, abstract mind-sets. this is an important, substantive finding that persisted over a significant time span. in addition, in two additional laboratory studies, they find further evidence for this matching hypothesis, in which a pairing of loss-(gain-) framed messages that activates more concrete (abstract) mind-sets leads to enhanced processing fluency, increased efficacy, and, as a result, more positive recycling intentions. the findings have implications for marketers, consumers, and society as a whole.

and the three anonymous JMR reviewers for their comments on previous versions of the article. The financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is gratefully acknowledged. DARREN W. DAHL and PAGE MOREAU*Although both the academic and the trade literature have widely acknowledged the need to foster the development of more-innovative products, little empirical research has examined the cognitive processes underlying the creation of these novel product concepts. In this research, three empirical studies examine how analogical thinking influences the idea-generation stage of the new product development process. The first study uses the verbal protocols of real-world industrial designers to trace the role of analogy in the context of a new product development task, and the second and third studies use an experimental approach to assess the effectiveness of different ideation strategies and conditions. Findings from these studies indicate that the originality of the resulting product design is influenced by the extent of analogical transfer, the type of analogies used, and the presence of external primes. In addition, these studies reveal a positive relationship between the originality of the product concept and consumers' willingness to pay for it, an important measure in the concepttesting phase of product development.

The current research explores the effects of dissociative reference groups on consumer preferences. Males had more negative evaluations of, and were less inclined to choose, a product associated with a dissociative (i.e., female) reference group than a neutral product (Study 1). This finding was moderated by whether the product was consumed in public or private (Study 2) and public self-consciousness (Study 3). We suggest the mechanism underlying our effects is a desire to present a positive self-image to others. The role of dissociative reference groups in marketing communications is discussed.Consider the following experience of the first author: One evening, my husband and I went to a high-end restaurant for dinner. As we sat deliberating over the menu, the server asked if we had made any selections. My husband looked up at the server in anguish and said that he felt like steak, but that he wasn't all that hungry. The server suggested that my husband select the smaller of the two steaks offered on the menu. My husband admitted that he had considered that option, but did not want to be perceived to "be a lady." Sure enough, I looked at the menu and saw that the smaller steak had been given the name "ladies' cut." Although my husband managed to overcome the negative associations of the ladies' cut and ended up choosing the smaller steak (only after ensuring that the server understood he was not a lady), the server told us that his intuition was that sales of the larger steak had increased since the renaming of the smaller steak.Anecdotally, there are many examples of consumers avoiding products associated with particular groups: the teenager who doesn't want to wear his dad's aftershave, the baby boomer who won't use products that are associated with being "elderly," the college student who avoids dressing "geeky," and so forth. These examples demonstrate that groups can serve as points of reference for how consumers think and behave.

Although consumers like to touch products while shopping, the authors propose a theory of consumer contamination, positing that consumers evaluate products previously touched by other shoppers less favorably. The authors test the theory by manipulating cues that increase the salience that consumer contact has occurred. Furthermore, the authors investigate the role of disgust as the underlying mechanism of the theory.

No abstract