Priming of Power and its Impact on Choices Using Discrete Choice Experiment Approach

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Mohammed, Aisha

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University of Guelph

Abstract

This research investigates how priming power influences consumers' preference for different attributes using different priming methods. Unlike previous research in power that focuses only on one attribute in each study, in this research Discrete Choice Experiment was used to show the participants more than one attribute each time. In the first study, we used episodic recall to prime participants with power and results indicated that participants primed with low power prefer a lower price and more options than those primed with high power. Preference for donation was marginally supported, such that participants primed with low power prefer higher amount of donation than those primed with high power. In the second study, we used banner ad and scrambled sentences task to prime participants with power and results indicated that priming power did not impact consumer’s preference for different attributes. In the third study, we used imaginary group project task to prime participants with power and results indicated that priming power does not impact consumer’s preference for different attributes. Exploratory research was done using segmentation analysis to divide the participants in each study into five homogenous groups. We found that in each study some segments dominated the results such that participants in these segments cared only about one attribute regardless of the other attributes of the product, while in other segments priming power impacted consumer's preference for different attributes. This research makes important theoretical contribution to the power literature. It extends the previous power literature by investigating how different methods of priming power influences consumers' preference for price, number of options, size, and donation. Additionally, marketing managers could use this research to prime consumers with either high or low power in order to influence their choices for different attributes. Finally, this research has methodological contribution, such that, we conducted the three studies using Discrete Choice Experiment approach as a new method in power literature, to test consumers' preference for different choice attributes at the same time.

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Social Power, Discrete Choice, Consumer Choice

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