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Goal Orientation and Consumer Preference for the Status Quo

Bibliographic Data

ID2215842
AuthorsAlexander Chernev (0009-0004-6500-3066, Northwestern University, corresponding author)
Year2004
Volume31
Issue3
Pages557-565
Publication date2004-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Consumer Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0093-5301 • E-ISSN: 1537-5277
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1086/425090
OpenAlexW2107133342
LanguageEN
Citations received28
References cited21

Consumers often must choose between a course of action that preserves the status quo and a course of action that is a departure from the status quo. This research demonstrates that preference for the status quo is a function of goal orientation and, in particular, that it tends to be more pronounced for prevention-focused than for promotion-focused consumers. The preference for the status quo was examined on two dimensions: preference for the status quo alternative and preference for inaction over action. In this context, it is shown that the impact of goal orientation on the preference for the status quo can occur independently of loss aversion—a finding consistent with the notion that goal orientation might impact choice by virtue of motivational factors such as self-regulation of anticipated regret. Consumers often must choose between a course of actionthat preserves the status quo and a course of action that is a departure from the status quo. Extant decision re-search has shown that individuals have a tendency to over-weight the status quo, thus displaying an exaggerated pref-erence for the current state of affairs (Samuelson and

Action (physics) · Context (archaeology) · Economics · Microeconomics · Orientation (vector space) · Political science · Positive economics · Preference · Promotion (chess) · Public economics · Regret · Status quo · Status quo bias · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Computer Science · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics · Law · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works28
Citations per year1,33
Citation span2005 - 2026 (22)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 28
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