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Journal of Political Economy Vol. 118 No. 2 2010

Order in Product Customization Decisions: Evidence from Field Experiments

Jonathan Levav1; Mark Heitmann2; Andreas Herrmann3; Sheena S. Iyengar1

1 Columbia University · 2 Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel · 3 University of St.Gallen

Abstract

Differentiated product models are predicated on the belief that a product’s utility can be derived from the summation of utilities for its individual attributes. In one framed field experiment and two natural field experiments, we test this assumption by experimentally manipulating the order of attribute presentation in the product customization process of custom‐made suits and automobiles. We find that order affects the design of a suit that people configure and the design and price of a car that people purchase by influencing the likelihood that they will accept the default option suggested by the firm.

DOI
10.1086/652463
Volume
118
Issue
2
Pages
274-299
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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