TY  - GEN
AU  - Moreau, C. Page
AU  - Herd, Kelly B.
AU  - Moreau, C. Page
AU  - Herd, Kelly B.
LA  - eng
CN  - ENP-4b9b59f0-adc7-4bc7-9f43-bae6423bbeac
TI  - To each his own? How comparisons with others influence consumers’ evaluations of their self-designed products
PY  - 2010
AB  - The vast majority of consumer behavior research has examined how consumers respond to products that are offered on a "take it or leave it" basis by the manufacturer. Self-design changes the rules substantially, allowing consumers to have much more control over the product's characteristics. This research examines the factors influencing consumers' evaluations of self-designed products. Three studies demonstrate that a superior fit between consumers' underlying preferences and their customized products cannot fully explain self-design evaluations. Comparisons with designers of comparable products can significantly influence evaluations as well. The first two experiments examine how social comparisons with the designers of similar "off-the-rack" products influence evaluations, identifying two key moderators useful in overcoming the negative effects of an upward comparison. A third study uses a real online design task to gain understanding of how the timing of the social comparison moderates the direction of the comparison (upward vs. equivalent) to influence evaluations.
ER  -