How a maximizing orientation affects trade‐offs between desirability and feasibility: The role of outcome‐ versus process‐focused decision making

Abstract

This research examines how maximizers make decisions when they must trade‐off between desirability and feasibility attributes. Across four studies, we demonstrate that maximizers tend to prefer choices offering more desirability to those offering more feasibility and respond more favorably to a product's advertising when it highlights desirability more than feasibility attributes. Furthermore, we show that maximizers' focus on outcomes rather than processes drives their preference for desirability, such that changing from an outcome to a process focus can redirect their interest from desirability to feasibility. By contrast, satisficers do not prefer products higher in desirability to those higher in feasibility and are not more receptive to ads highlighting desirability attributes. Furthermore, because satisficers may focus on both the outcome and the process, priming either one is redundant and does not alter their preference for desirability or feasibility.

Gradually or immediately? The effects of ad type and fresh start mindset on health persuasion

“…The present research also extends the literature on the FSM and its downstream effects (Dai et al, 2014;Price et al, 2018). In addition, to reveal the underlying processes of the interactive effect of ad type and FSM on persuasion, this research examined the mediating effects of feasibility and desirability, which contributes to the research on construal level theory (Hsieh & Yalch, 2020;Lu et al, 2013).…”

“…One hundred ninety-two participants (52.6% male, M age = 20.75, SD = 2.41) were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions (progression ad -weak FSM, progression ad -strong FSM, before/after ad -weak FSM, before/after ad -strong FSM) and signed the consent form prior to the or services can trigger consumers' simulations of the desirable outcomes, which are usually the reasons and incentives for consumers to purchase the advertised products (Han et al, 2019;Hsieh & Yalch, 2020;Lu et al, 2013). Therefore, these ads can increase the desirability of the changes by encouraging consumers to focus on why they need to use the products or services and the benefits they obtain (Hsieh & Yalch, 2020;Liu, 2008). Consequently, we propose that before/after ads (vs. progression) are more matched with a stronger FSM, and this match will increase consumers' perceived desirability of the advertised changes (Lu et al, 2013).…”

“…On the other hand, consumers with a stronger FSM would perceive the temporal distance to the advertised change as more distant and tend to focus on the abstract features and messages of the ad (Han et al, 2019) and further perceive higher desirability of the change (Chen et al, 2019;Hsieh & Yalch, 2020). Before/after ads that only present the contrasts between the start and end states of using health products these two ads such as the typography, fonts, and messages were consistent.…”

“…Consumers' evaluations of products or services are highly influenced by these two aspects. Therefore, ads that can enhance consumers' perceived desirability and feasibility would be more persuasive (Han et al, 2019;Hsieh & Yalch, 2020;Strizhakova et al, 2021).…”

The Construction of Image Reference Points and Text Appeals Information Tailoring in Promoting Diners’ Public Environment Maintenance Behavior Intention

“…Based on social psychology experiments, Lu et al showed that users pay more attention to feasibility than desirability in decision making for themselves and others [ 56 ]. Hsieh and Yalch studied how maximizers and satisfiers drive preferences for desirable and feasible attributes, and influence product choices when seeing product advertisements [ 57 ]. Lee et al explored the matching relationship between users with different political beliefs and the tailoring of preferences related to feasibility and desirability in anti-tobacco information [ 58 ].…”