The influence of mindset abstraction on preference for mixed versus extreme approaches to multigoal pursuits

Abstract

Facing multiple conflicting goals, consumers may attempt to simultaneously pursue multiple goals by choosing mixed vice-virtue bundles in each consumption episode (mixed approach). Alternatively, they may maximize their pursuit of one goal at a time and sequentially manage multiple goals by alternating between purevirtue and pure-vice bundles across consumption episodes (extreme approach). The current research proposes that consumer preferences between the two approaches depend on mindset abstraction. Across four experimental studies in the domains of food and financial decision-making, we demonstrate that, relative to an abstract mindset, a concrete mindset increases preference for the extreme approach over the mixed approach. Furthermore, by observing actual food choices over a sevenday period, this research provides a comprehensive picture of how a chronic mindset relates to multigoal management in long-term consumption patterns. The findings have both theoretical implications for the goal literature and managerial implications for marketers and policymakers.

Avoiding through glossiness and approaching through matte: The effect of visual finish on perceived product effectiveness

“…Whether our focal effect extends to advertising or print material requires future investigation. Another interesting line of future inquiry would be to explore the visual finish effect on multifunctional products (You et al, 2022) as there may exist various methods for multigoal pursuits (Lu et al, 2022).…”

The Effect of Vice–Virtue Bundles on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions for Vice Packaged Foods: Evidence from Randomized Experiments

“…Similarly, when a cake is garnished with fruit, individuals tend to underestimate its calorie content, thus being more inclined to consume it [2,5]. Thus, properly assembling bundles of virtue (i.e., healthy things) and vice (i.e., unhealthy things) may mitigate the dilemma by reshaping consumers' perceptions and promoting their intentions to consume the bundles [6][7][8]. In addition to being carried in served-on-a-plate foods, vice-virtue bundles are also prevalent in packaged foods, such as chocolate wholemeal bread, sugar-coated walnut meat, buckwheat crisps, and corn crispy chips.…”