Variety - seeking in product choice behavior : theory with applications in the food domain

Abstract

The primary objectives of the present work are (1) to review the marketing and psychological literature on variety-seeking behavior, (2) to develop a formal model for variety-seeking in product choice behavior and (3) to investigate elements of the proposed model empirically. The present approach specifically focuses on temporal variety-seeking behavior and addresses some of the key issues that have received inadequate attention in previous work on temporal variety-seeking behavior. The main conclusions of the present work will be summarized and discussed in this chapter, and directions for future research in this area will be suggested.Limitations of previous work on variety-seeking behaviorDespite the fact that during the last few years variety-seeking behavior has received considerable research attention in the marketing literature, there are a number of issues that have not been adequately addressed. To a considerable extent this appears to be due to inadequate and inconsistent use of the terminology in this research area (McAlister and Pessemier 1982; Kahn, Kalwani and Morrison 1986). In particular the term variety-seeking behavior has been used rather informally to denote a number of different phenomena. This seriously hampers theoretical progress in this area as it makes it difficult to directly compare results from different studies and to integrate them into a comprehensive theory for varietyseeking behavior. Therefore, in the present work much attention is given to the terminology being adopted. The term variety-seeking behavior is reserved for those instances of consumer switching behavior that are motivated by the utility inherent in variation per se. The present approach thus explicitly distinguishes variety-seeking behavior from derived varied behavior , that is motivated by the more or less delayed consequences of switching behavior rather than the utility inherent in switching behavior per se.Apart from theoretical inconsistencies in the definition of variety-seeking behavior, much of the previous research has also fallen short in the measurement of this type of behavior. Despite the fact that the distinction between true variety-seeking behavior and derived varied behavior has played a prominent role in conceptual analyses of the phenomenon, both in the psychological (e.g. McReynolds 1971a; Deci 1975) and the marketing literature (McAlister and Pessemier 1982; Hoyer and Ridgway 1984; Raju 1984; Mazursky, LaBarbera and Aiello 1987), few studies on variety-seeking behavior that have incorporated it into empirical analysis. Again, the neglect of this distinction in empirical investigations of the phenomenon seriously hinders theoretical progress in the area, as many of the results attributed to variety-seeking behavior may be confounded by elements of derived varied behavior.In the marketing literature, variety-seeking behavior has been studied from two basic approaches. The implicit approach takes observed variation in purchase or consumption histories as a starting point of their attempts to derive insight into variety-seeking behavior. The explicit approach, on the other hand, takes the individual and psychological processes as a starting point of their analyses in an attempt to explain why and when variety-seeking behavior is likely to occur. Both of these approaches have specific strengths and weaknesses. One of the main strengths of the implicit approach is that these studies model variety-seeking behavior from "real-life" consumption data and thereby implicitly consider variety-seeking behavior in the broader context of consumer choice behavior. However, these studies have also specific problems associated with them. One of the most prominent weaknesses concerns the measurement of true variety-seeking behavior. Many of the models suggested within this approach do not allow for a formal distinction between true variety-seeking behavior and derived varied behavior. Therefore, the variety-seeking parameters obtained from these models primarily distinguish repeat purchasing from variation in behavior, without providing insight into the nature of the observed variation in behavior (true variety-seeking behavior versus derived varied behavior). As a result, many of these models are primarily descriptive in nature without providing a detailed insight into the nature of true variety-seeking behavior. The models developed within this approach are becoming increasingly sophisticated, progressing in a direction that in the long-run may allow for a better distinction between variety-seeking behavior and derived varied behavior.Studies within the explicit approach take the underlying psychological processes for variety-seeking behavior as their point of departure. Building on the psychological theories of exploratory behavior, most of these studies have focused on personality characteristics as an explanation for individual differences in variety-seeking behavior intensity. Only recently have these studies begun to consider choice-context related determinants of variety-seeking behavior. Both person-related and context-related determinants have been shown to influence the intensity of variety-seeking in product choice behavior. Thus, these studies are likely to provide a more detailed insight into the psychological processes that may explain why and when variety-seeking behavior will occur. However, studies within the explicit approach also have specific weaknesses associated with them. Many of these studies have used stated behavior rather than actual manifestation of variety-seeking behavior in product choice. Also, the fact than many of these studies have been conducted in controlled experimental settings makes it difficult to capture the phenomenon within the broader context of other consumer choice mechanisms that compete and interact with the desire for variety in determining actual choice behavior.Valid measures for variation in consumption behavior are a prime concern to both approaches to variety-seeking behavior. Although several measures have been proposed, the issue of their validity assessment has largely been ignored. This lack of established validity is problematic as it directly influences the validity of the results obtained, and renders a direct comparison of results from various studies very difficult. Chapter 5 critically reviews measures for variation in consumption that have been proposed in the economics and marketing literatures and provides an empirical investigation into their validity. It is shown that rather than relating to one single underlying construct (variation in consumption), the measures can more accurately be classified into two distinct categories: those that quantify variation at the product level versus those that take into account the attribute composition of the brands switched to and from.Main contributions of the present studyThe variety-seeking modelThe primary aim of the present study is to fill the gaps identified in previous work on temporal variety-seeking behavior. The variety-seeking model developed for this purpose explicitly distinguishes between a static and a dynamic component in consumer evaluation processes of product alternatives. In line with most of the previous research on the phenomenon, variety-seeking behavior is attributed to feedback mechanisms from previous consumption and purchasing, implying that it exerts its influence through the dynamic component of consumers' evaluation processes. The more static component, on the other hand, reflects the consumer's long-term preference for choice alternatives and captures both instrumental and hedonic product attributes.The variety-seeking model allows for a more detailed analysis of the underlying processes of variety- seeking behavior, which relate to changes in perceived hedonic value of choice alternatives under the influence of previous consumption or purchase behavior. Three such underlying psychological processes are identified, Boredom with the choice task is a product-specific decrease in perceived hedonic value of the previously chosen alternative. As a result, the attractiveness of the previously chosen alternative decreases relative to that of all other choice alternatives. In such a situation, another alternative, for which the consumer's unconditional or long-term preference is lower than for the previously chosen alternative, may conditionally become more attractive. Switching behavior in response to this process is a first type of variety-seeking behavior identified in the variety-seeking model (cf. Jeuland 1978). In addition to boredom as an item-specific phenomenon, perceived hedonic value may also decrease under the influence of previous consumption in an attribute-specific manner. Over time, consumers may get satiated not only with repeated consumption of the same item, but also more specifically with certain attributes repeatedly delivered by the product. This process is well documented for sensory attributes, where it is referred to as 'sensory specific satiety' (LeMagnen 1967; Rolls 1986). In such instances, the consumer's evaluative judgment of one or more hedonic attributes changes under the influences of previous consumption. This phenomenon of attribute satiation is identified as the second psychological process underlying variety-seeking behavior (cf. McAlister 1982).Whereas the previous two underlying processes emphasize the reduction in relative attractiveness of the previously chosen alternative vis-à-vis other alternatives, curiosity as an underlying motivation for variety- seeking behavior emphasizes the increase in absolute attractiveness of an alternative not chosen on the previous consumption occasion. Curiosity, the desire to close the information gap between what is known and what one wants to know (Loewenstein 1994), may increase the perceived value of one or more alternatives that have not been chosen on the previous occasion. Switching behavior instigate

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