| This dissertation examines whether consumers use compensatory or non-compensatory choice strategies while engaged in limited problem solving with low involvement products. Subjects in all phases of the research were undergraduate students enrolled in the introductory psychology classes at Memphis State University, providing a wide range of age and income.; One sample of 100 subjects was given a free-generation recall task to develop a list of product categories. These product categories were then listed in a questionnaire given to 250 subjects, who reported which of seven consumer choice strategies they use when purchasing each of the products listed. Product involvement was then determined for those product categories by asking 170 subjects to report how many steps in a 5-step purchase process were used when purchasing a particular product. Of those product categories, 20 were selected for the final experimental manipulation based on their involvement scores, 10 high and 10 low.; The independent variables were the level of product involvement and the type of choice strategy. The dependent variable was the likelihood of strategy selection. There were two levels of involvement, high and low, and seven choice strategies: Lexicographic, Conjunctive, Sequential Elimination, Weighted Additive, Simple Additive, Phased Decision, and Affect Referral. The null hypothesis was: There is no difference between the seven different consumer choice strategies used for high versus low involvement products.; A repeated measures analysis of variance was performed on the dependent variable with products as the unit of analysis. There was a significant main effect of strategy, but not of involvement. Results show consumers believe they use non-compensatory choice strategies more often than compensatory choice strategies for both high and low involvement products. Results therefore support Engel's model and contradict Howard's regarding low involvement products. However, results contradict both models' predictions with respect to high involvement products, as consumers believe they use non-compensatory strategies most often with high involvement products.; A significant interaction of involvement and strategy was found, indicating a preference by consumers to use compensatory strategies with high involvement products more than with low involvement products. In general, consumers believe they use simpler strategies more often than the complex strategies, but when they do use complex strategies it is more likely to occur with a high involvement product than a low involvement product. |
