Research On Feature Convergence Effect Based On Context Cue

With the increasing of commodity category and comparision convenience provided by supermarket shelves and e-commerce, consumers face with richer attributes in their choice set. The sameness and difference among attributes has effects on consumers, especially in the circumstance with the lack of social credit, brand failure cases, and consumers in order to avoid risk need to use some clues to judge. However, early researches on the feature comparison and perceptual focus effects focus on the unique feature, and hold that unque feature is more likely to be attended to and bought. Product attribute comparison is a complex process, and product choice set also has a variety of structures, then whether in any particular choice set structure, and in any particular circumstances will convergence feature have positive effects? Both the dialectics and Optimal distinctiveness theory pointed out that convergence fetures have some positive effects. Consumer information processing is not only the process of perception, when considering about the perception of risk and regret factors in consumer choice processes, consumers will show a completely different behavior from perceptual focus effects, that is to say in the choice set with different structure, consumers will not choose the the product with unique features, but tend to select the convergence feature product. This research mainly focuses on the feature convergence effect caused by risk perception, and reveals the positive effect of convergence features, and confirms a new form of contxt effects.Around the feature convergence effect, this thesis will follow four issues of research.(1) Does the feature convergence effect exist? Under what circumstances does it exist?(2) Which mechanism drives the feature convergence effect? Do there more than one mechanism exist?(3) Which moderators affect the feature convergence effect? How these variables affect the feature convergence effect and its intrinsic mechanism?(4) How the feature convergence effect affect choice conflict? Does it change the attraction between products and choice difficulty? Does it chDnJH(?)HFRn VXP HUVFhRiFHGHH(?)First of all, based on the perceived risk theory and the theory of external cues, the feature convergence effect is deduced, and given a concept. With scenes design, the choice share difference between product with divergence feature and with convergence feature at higher perceived risk and low perceived risk is confirmed. Then the feature convergence effect is verified to exist at high perceived risk.Secondly, based on the perceived risk theory and anticipated regret theory, the risk dilution mechanism and anticipated regret mechanism is revealed in feature convergence effect. In high risk circumstance, the perceived risk of product with convergence features is lower than which with divergence features. The anticipated regret at product with convergence features is lower than which with divergence features. The moderator effect of information processing mode on anticipated regret is confirmed.Thirdly, because the external cue processing is connected with information processing mode, the effect of information processing mode on the feature convergence effect is explored in information processing mode perspective. The result shows that the information processing mode has a significant effect on the feature convergence effect, perceived risk as a moderator.Finally, building on decision conflict theory, it is discussed that when a same product with one product in the choice set in which involves two products with similar attraction but different features, the influence to the attraction of the original product and the difficulty of choice, and the influence of feature convergence effect to consumers choice deferral. The result shows that the feature convergence effect has significant effect on the attraction of the original products, and can reduce the choice difficulty significantly in high risk circumstance. In the middle risk circumstance, the feature convergence effect can reduce choice deferral significantly, but in high and low risk circumstance, it is not significant.The academic contributions of this study denoted as follows:(1) Address the concept of feature convergence effect initially in a feature cue perspective, and confirm the existence in some circumstance, and the result extend context effect research.(2)Extend the context effect research from volume difference comparison to alignment difference, and connect feature cue with perceived risk and regret, reveal new mechanism of consumers processing feature convergence and divergence information. The result contributes to understand the consumer behavior in the circumstance in which lack of honesty and credit and with the collective culture.(3) Discuss some independent variables and dependent variables which affect the feature convergence effect preliminarily, and explore the effect that influence to the choice difficulty and choice deferral. The result helps to improve the theory system of feature convergence effect.