Alexander Chernev
Biographic Data
| ID | 76801 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexander Chernev |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexander |
| FAMILY NAME | Chernev |
| SIGNATURE | CHERNEV A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Northwestern University |
| ORCID | 0009-0004-6500-3066 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 131 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1997 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Choice overload: A conceptual review and meta‐analysis
When Opposites Detract: Categorical Reasoning and Subtractive Valuations of Product Combinations
Can pairing items from different price tiers decrease consumers’ perceptions of monetary value? Prior research suggests that adding an item with positive utility to an offering can only increase the offering’s overall value. In contrast, we show that combining expensive and inexpensive items can lead to subtractive rather than additive judgments, such that consumers are willing to pay less for the combination than for the expensive item alone. We…
Semantic Anchoring in Sequential Evaluations of Vices and Virtues
How do people evaluate sequentially presented items? Prior research suggests that sequential evaluations are subject to anchoring biases, such that the values of subsequently evaluated alternatives are assimilated toward the initially considered option. The present research argues, however, that sequential valuations often lead to contrast rather than assimilation effects, whereby values of the subsequently estimated alternatives are distanced fr…
Commentary on Scheibehenne, Greifeneder, and Todd Choice Overload: Is There Anything to It
Can there ever be too many options? We argue that because choice overload has multiple antecedents, simply searching for a main effect across all conditions and a single "sufficient" condition that is likely to solely predict this effect is not informative. Moreover, because prior research has documented multiple instances in which an abundance of options leads to choice overload, the interesting question is not whether choice overload occurs but…
Perceptual Focus Effects in Choice
This article examines consumer choice as a function of the perceptual similarity of the options in the decision set. In particular, we examine a scenario in which a set of options is extended by adding alternatives that change its perceptual characteristics, increasing the salience of one of the options in the core set. In this context, we document that, contrary to normative predictions, perceptual focus can increase the choice share of one of t…
Jack of All Trades or Master of One? Product Differentiation and Compensatory Reasoning in Consumer Choice
This research examines consumer reactions to two common positioning strategies: a specialized-positioning strategy in which an option is described by a single fea-ture, and an all-in-one strategy in which an option is described by a combination of features. The empirical data reported in this article demonstrate that a product specializing on a single attribute is perceived to be superior on that attribute relative to an all-in-one option, even w…
Articulation Compatibility in Eliciting Price Bids
Do consumers prefer auctions that allow them to place more precise bids to auctions that accept less precise bids? Can consumers accurately estimate their need for price-elicitation precision? This research addresses these questions by applying the notion of compatibility to the relationship between consumers ’ bidding price uncertainty and the precision implied by the price-elicitation task. Data from four experiments show that when consumers ar…
Differentiation and Parity in Assortment Pricing
Are consumers more likely to purchase an item from an assortment in which options are priced at parity or from an assortment in which options vary in price? This research examines the influence of parity-pricing and differentiation-pricing strat-egies on consumer choice and identifies conditions in which parity pricing facilitates choice, as well as conditions in which choice is facilitated by differential pricing. In a series of three experiment…
Decision Focus and Consumer Choice among Assortments
This research examines an empirical paradox documented by prior research: when choosing among assortments, consumers opt for the variety offered by larger assortments; however, consumers often are less confident in choices made from larger rather than from smaller assortments. By implying that consumers cannot always accurately predict their need for variety, this preference inconsistency also raises the question of what factors influence consume…
Context Effects without a Context: Attribute Balance as a Reason for Choice
This article extends the notion of context effects beyond the relational properties of choice alternatives to include attribute balance as a reason for choice. The data reported in two experiments demonstrate that attribute balance has a significant impact on extremeness-aversion and trade-off-contrast effects reported in prior research. The proposition that consumers use attribute balance as a reason for choice is further supported by the findin…
Feature Complementarity and Assortment in Choice
This research argues that the purchase probability from a given choice set is contingent on the complementarity of the features differentiating its options. In particular, two types of features are distinguished: complementary features, which are characterized by the additivity of their utilities, and noncomplementary features, which are characterized by nonadditive utilities. In this context, it is argued that assortments in which options are di…
Goal Orientation and Consumer Preference for the Status Quo
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 sta…
Extremeness Aversion and Attribute-Balance Effects in Choice
Consumers often make decisions based on the extremeness of choice alternatives. Prior research has argued that extremeness aversion is a function of the relational properties of choice alternatives and that the middle option, defined such that its attribute values are between the values of the other alternatives, is always viewed as the least extreme, compromise option. The attribute-balance hypothesis advanced in this article extends prior resea…
Product assortment and individual decision processes
Research presented in this article examines the impact of product assortment on individuals' decisions. Four experiments report converging evidence that the impact of assortment is moderated by the degree to which individuals have articulated attribute preferences, whereby individuals with an articulated ideal point are more likely to prefer larger assortments than individuals without articulated preferences. The data further show that choices ma…
When More Is Less and Less Is More: The Role of Ideal Point Availability and Assortment in Consumer Choice
Contrary to the common wisdom that more choice is always better, selections made from large assortments can lead to weaker preferences. Building on the extant literature, this research identifies ideal point availability as a key factor moderating the impact of assortment on choice. It is proposed that, in the case of large assortments, ideal point availability can simplify choice, leading to a stronger preference for the selected alternative. In…
The Impact of Common Features on Consumer Preferences: A Case of Confirmatory Reasoning
This article examines how confirmatory reasoning moderates the impact of attractive and unattractive common features on consumer preferences. Building on the existing research on confirmatory information processing and the motivated reasoning framework, I propose that consumers evaluate common features in a way that supports their already established preferences. In a series of three studies, I show that the impact of common features is moderated…
The Effect of Common Features on Brand Choice: Moderating Role of Attribute Importance
In this article, the effect of common features on brand choice and the moderating role of attribute importance are examined. It is argued that when brand attributes differ in importance, common features are likely to enhance consumer preferences for the option with the best value on the most important attribute, thus further polarizing brands' choice shares. In contrast, when attributes are similar in their importance, common features are likely …
When More Is Less and Less Is More: The Role of Ideal Point Availability and Assortment in Consumer Choice
Contrary to the common wisdom that more choice is always better, selections made from large assortments can lead to weaker preferences. Building on the extant literature, this research identifies ideal point availability as a key factor moderating the impact of assortment on choice. It is proposed that, in the case of large assortments, ideal point availability can simplify choice, leading to a stronger preference for the selected alternative. In…
Goal Orientation and Consumer Preference for the Status Quo
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 sta…
Decision Focus and Consumer Choice among Assortments
This research examines an empirical paradox documented by prior research: when choosing among assortments, consumers opt for the variety offered by larger assortments; however, consumers often are less confident in choices made from larger rather than from smaller assortments. By implying that consumers cannot always accurately predict their need for variety, this preference inconsistency also raises the question of what factors influence consume…
Extremeness Aversion and Attribute-Balance Effects in Choice
Consumers often make decisions based on the extremeness of choice alternatives. Prior research has argued that extremeness aversion is a function of the relational properties of choice alternatives and that the middle option, defined such that its attribute values are between the values of the other alternatives, is always viewed as the least extreme, compromise option. The attribute-balance hypothesis advanced in this article extends prior resea…
The Impact of Common Features on Consumer Preferences: A Case of Confirmatory Reasoning
This article examines how confirmatory reasoning moderates the impact of attractive and unattractive common features on consumer preferences. Building on the existing research on confirmatory information processing and the motivated reasoning framework, I propose that consumers evaluate common features in a way that supports their already established preferences. In a series of three studies, I show that the impact of common features is moderated…
Product assortment and individual decision processes
Research presented in this article examines the impact of product assortment on individuals' decisions. Four experiments report converging evidence that the impact of assortment is moderated by the degree to which individuals have articulated attribute preferences, whereby individuals with an articulated ideal point are more likely to prefer larger assortments than individuals without articulated preferences. The data further show that choices ma…
Semantic Anchoring in Sequential Evaluations of Vices and Virtues
How do people evaluate sequentially presented items? Prior research suggests that sequential evaluations are subject to anchoring biases, such that the values of subsequently evaluated alternatives are assimilated toward the initially considered option. The present research argues, however, that sequential valuations often lead to contrast rather than assimilation effects, whereby values of the subsequently estimated alternatives are distanced fr…
Context Effects without a Context: Attribute Balance as a Reason for Choice
This article extends the notion of context effects beyond the relational properties of choice alternatives to include attribute balance as a reason for choice. The data reported in two experiments demonstrate that attribute balance has a significant impact on extremeness-aversion and trade-off-contrast effects reported in prior research. The proposition that consumers use attribute balance as a reason for choice is further supported by the findin…
The Effect of Common Features on Brand Choice: Moderating Role of Attribute Importance
In this article, the effect of common features on brand choice and the moderating role of attribute importance are examined. It is argued that when brand attributes differ in importance, common features are likely to enhance consumer preferences for the option with the best value on the most important attribute, thus further polarizing brands' choice shares. In contrast, when attributes are similar in their importance, common features are likely …
Commentary on Scheibehenne, Greifeneder, and Todd Choice Overload: Is There Anything to It
Can there ever be too many options? We argue that because choice overload has multiple antecedents, simply searching for a main effect across all conditions and a single "sufficient" condition that is likely to solely predict this effect is not informative. Moreover, because prior research has documented multiple instances in which an abundance of options leads to choice overload, the interesting question is not whether choice overload occurs but…
When Opposites Detract: Categorical Reasoning and Subtractive Valuations of Product Combinations
Can pairing items from different price tiers decrease consumers’ perceptions of monetary value? Prior research suggests that adding an item with positive utility to an offering can only increase the offering’s overall value. In contrast, we show that combining expensive and inexpensive items can lead to subtractive rather than additive judgments, such that consumers are willing to pay less for the combination than for the expensive item alone. We…
Perceptual Focus Effects in Choice
This article examines consumer choice as a function of the perceptual similarity of the options in the decision set. In particular, we examine a scenario in which a set of options is extended by adding alternatives that change its perceptual characteristics, increasing the salience of one of the options in the core set. In this context, we document that, contrary to normative predictions, perceptual focus can increase the choice share of one of t…
Jack of All Trades or Master of One? Product Differentiation and Compensatory Reasoning in Consumer Choice
This research examines consumer reactions to two common positioning strategies: a specialized-positioning strategy in which an option is described by a single fea-ture, and an all-in-one strategy in which an option is described by a combination of features. The empirical data reported in this article demonstrate that a product specializing on a single attribute is perceived to be superior on that attribute relative to an all-in-one option, even w…
Feature Complementarity and Assortment in Choice
This research argues that the purchase probability from a given choice set is contingent on the complementarity of the features differentiating its options. In particular, two types of features are distinguished: complementary features, which are characterized by the additivity of their utilities, and noncomplementary features, which are characterized by nonadditive utilities. In this context, it is argued that assortments in which options are di…
Differentiation and Parity in Assortment Pricing
Are consumers more likely to purchase an item from an assortment in which options are priced at parity or from an assortment in which options vary in price? This research examines the influence of parity-pricing and differentiation-pricing strat-egies on consumer choice and identifies conditions in which parity pricing facilitates choice, as well as conditions in which choice is facilitated by differential pricing. In a series of three experiment…
Articulation Compatibility in Eliciting Price Bids
Do consumers prefer auctions that allow them to place more precise bids to auctions that accept less precise bids? Can consumers accurately estimate their need for price-elicitation precision? This research addresses these questions by applying the notion of compatibility to the relationship between consumers ’ bidding price uncertainty and the precision implied by the price-elicitation task. Data from four experiments show that when consumers ar…
The Effect of Common Features on Brand Choice: Moderating Role of Attribute Importance
In this article, the effect of common features on brand choice and the moderating role of attribute importance are examined. It is argued that when brand attributes differ in importance, common features are likely to enhance consumer preferences for the option with the best value on the most important attribute, thus further polarizing brands' choice shares. In contrast, when attributes are similar in their importance, common features are likely …
The Impact of Common Features on Consumer Preferences: A Case of Confirmatory Reasoning
This article examines how confirmatory reasoning moderates the impact of attractive and unattractive common features on consumer preferences. Building on the existing research on confirmatory information processing and the motivated reasoning framework, I propose that consumers evaluate common features in a way that supports their already established preferences. In a series of three studies, I show that the impact of common features is moderated…
Product assortment and individual decision processes
Research presented in this article examines the impact of product assortment on individuals' decisions. Four experiments report converging evidence that the impact of assortment is moderated by the degree to which individuals have articulated attribute preferences, whereby individuals with an articulated ideal point are more likely to prefer larger assortments than individuals without articulated preferences. The data further show that choices ma…
When More Is Less and Less Is More: The Role of Ideal Point Availability and Assortment in Consumer Choice
Contrary to the common wisdom that more choice is always better, selections made from large assortments can lead to weaker preferences. Building on the extant literature, this research identifies ideal point availability as a key factor moderating the impact of assortment on choice. It is proposed that, in the case of large assortments, ideal point availability can simplify choice, leading to a stronger preference for the selected alternative. In…
Goal Orientation and Consumer Preference for the Status Quo
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 sta…
Extremeness Aversion and Attribute-Balance Effects in Choice
Consumers often make decisions based on the extremeness of choice alternatives. Prior research has argued that extremeness aversion is a function of the relational properties of choice alternatives and that the middle option, defined such that its attribute values are between the values of the other alternatives, is always viewed as the least extreme, compromise option. The attribute-balance hypothesis advanced in this article extends prior resea…
Context Effects without a Context: Attribute Balance as a Reason for Choice
This article extends the notion of context effects beyond the relational properties of choice alternatives to include attribute balance as a reason for choice. The data reported in two experiments demonstrate that attribute balance has a significant impact on extremeness-aversion and trade-off-contrast effects reported in prior research. The proposition that consumers use attribute balance as a reason for choice is further supported by the findin…
Feature Complementarity and Assortment in Choice
This research argues that the purchase probability from a given choice set is contingent on the complementarity of the features differentiating its options. In particular, two types of features are distinguished: complementary features, which are characterized by the additivity of their utilities, and noncomplementary features, which are characterized by nonadditive utilities. In this context, it is argued that assortments in which options are di…
Articulation Compatibility in Eliciting Price Bids
Do consumers prefer auctions that allow them to place more precise bids to auctions that accept less precise bids? Can consumers accurately estimate their need for price-elicitation precision? This research addresses these questions by applying the notion of compatibility to the relationship between consumers ’ bidding price uncertainty and the precision implied by the price-elicitation task. Data from four experiments show that when consumers ar…
Differentiation and Parity in Assortment Pricing
Are consumers more likely to purchase an item from an assortment in which options are priced at parity or from an assortment in which options vary in price? This research examines the influence of parity-pricing and differentiation-pricing strat-egies on consumer choice and identifies conditions in which parity pricing facilitates choice, as well as conditions in which choice is facilitated by differential pricing. In a series of three experiment…
Decision Focus and Consumer Choice among Assortments
This research examines an empirical paradox documented by prior research: when choosing among assortments, consumers opt for the variety offered by larger assortments; however, consumers often are less confident in choices made from larger rather than from smaller assortments. By implying that consumers cannot always accurately predict their need for variety, this preference inconsistency also raises the question of what factors influence consume…
Perceptual Focus Effects in Choice
This article examines consumer choice as a function of the perceptual similarity of the options in the decision set. In particular, we examine a scenario in which a set of options is extended by adding alternatives that change its perceptual characteristics, increasing the salience of one of the options in the core set. In this context, we document that, contrary to normative predictions, perceptual focus can increase the choice share of one of t…
Jack of All Trades or Master of One? Product Differentiation and Compensatory Reasoning in Consumer Choice
This research examines consumer reactions to two common positioning strategies: a specialized-positioning strategy in which an option is described by a single fea-ture, and an all-in-one strategy in which an option is described by a combination of features. The empirical data reported in this article demonstrate that a product specializing on a single attribute is perceived to be superior on that attribute relative to an all-in-one option, even w…
Commentary on Scheibehenne, Greifeneder, and Todd Choice Overload: Is There Anything to It
Can there ever be too many options? We argue that because choice overload has multiple antecedents, simply searching for a main effect across all conditions and a single "sufficient" condition that is likely to solely predict this effect is not informative. Moreover, because prior research has documented multiple instances in which an abundance of options leads to choice overload, the interesting question is not whether choice overload occurs but…
Semantic Anchoring in Sequential Evaluations of Vices and Virtues
How do people evaluate sequentially presented items? Prior research suggests that sequential evaluations are subject to anchoring biases, such that the values of subsequently evaluated alternatives are assimilated toward the initially considered option. The present research argues, however, that sequential valuations often lead to contrast rather than assimilation effects, whereby values of the subsequently estimated alternatives are distanced fr…
When Opposites Detract: Categorical Reasoning and Subtractive Valuations of Product Combinations
Can pairing items from different price tiers decrease consumers’ perceptions of monetary value? Prior research suggests that adding an item with positive utility to an offering can only increase the offering’s overall value. In contrast, we show that combining expensive and inexpensive items can lead to subtractive rather than additive judgments, such that consumers are willing to pay less for the combination than for the expensive item alone. We…
Choice overload: A conceptual review and meta‐analysis
Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics (14 works) · Computer Science (13 works) · Economics (13 works) · Microeconomics (12 works) · Economic and Environmental Valuation (11 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing (9 works) · Social Psychology (8 works) · Cognitive psychology (7 works) · Mathematics (7 works)