Effect of Maximizing Tendency on Choice Deferral:The Serial Mediating Role of Processing Depth and Choice Difficulty

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240324

Abstract

Abstract: People often do not decide right away. Instead, they defer their decision to return to it at later time, and it be defined as choice deferral. This phenomenon refers to a situation in which an individual chooses not to choose for the time being. Previous research mainly focused on the cognitive and emotional factors that affect choice deferral, however, with the rising of research on individual differences in decision making, recently more and more scholars begin to explore whether different people have different preferences on choice deferral. For instance, some studies demonstrated that older adults were more likely than young adults to choose the deferral option, and compared to promotion-focus individuals, prevention-focus individuals were more likely to delay their choices and so on. As one of the important individual difference variables, decision-making styles have become a hot research topic. Schwartz et al. (2002) suggested that people vary in the extent to which they seek the best during choice—some people were more likely to try to maximize, while others were content to satisfy. As far as we know, there is no research to explore the effect of maximizing tendency on choice deferral. Therefore, the purpose of the present research uses the information board technique to reveal the effect of maximizing tendency on choice deferral and the underlying information processing mechanism.
The current research employed one factor (decision-making style: maximizing/satisficing) between-subject design, used the revision of the Maximization Scale to measure decision-making style, and took choice deferral, information processing mode (processing time, depth and pattern) and choice difficulty as dependent variables. The experiment was conducted on computer. Firstly, the participants were required to complete multi-attribute decision task, and made their deferral choice. Secondly, subjects’ subjective rating of the difficulty experienced in the process of decision-making was record. Lastly, subjects reported the revision of the Maximization Scale and personal information, and the experiment was finished. The results from the experiment indicated that: (1) Maximizing tendency was significantly positively correlated with choice difficulty and choice deferral, specifically, compared to satisficers, maximizers were more likely to experience choice difficulty, and delay their choice; (2) Maximizing tendency was significantly positively correlated with information processing mode, specifically, maximizers were inclined to spend more time, search more depth on processing, and show more preference for alternative-based search pattern. (3) Processing depth and choice difficulty respectively mediated the effect of maximizing tendency on choice deferral. (4) Maximizing tendency affected choice deferral through the serial mediating effect of processing depth→choice difficulty.
In sum, these results suggested that maximizing tendency had different preferences on choice deferral, moreover, processing depth and choice difficulty could explain the effect of maximizing and satisficing style on choice deferral to some extent. Our findings could not only enrich the literature of decision-making style and choice deferral, but also contribute to understanding of how to provide the appropriate marketing strategy for individuals with different decision-making styles.

Key words: maximizing tendency, choice deferral, processing depth, choice difficulty

摘要： 延迟选择的个体差异研究已成为关注的热点。本研究运用信息板技术追踪了最优化决策倾向不同个体（最优化者vs.满意型者）的延迟选择过程,探讨最优化决策倾向对延迟选择的影响及信息加工方式与选择难度的中介作用。结果发现：（1）最优化决策倾向分别与选择难度及延迟选择呈显著正相关,即最优化者在决策中更容易体验到选择困难而倾向于延迟选择;（2）最优化决策倾向与信息加工方式呈显著正相关,最优化者在决策中的信息加工时间更长、深度更深,并更偏好使用基于选项的加工方式;（3）最优化决策倾向不仅能直接正向预测延迟选择,而且还能通过加工深度的单独中介、选择难度的单独中介及加工深度→选择难度的链式中介作用间接影响延迟选择。研究结果对进一步理解最优化决策倾向不同个体的延迟选择偏好差异及其机制及如何根据最优化与满意型消费者特征的差异制定有效的营销策略均有一定的启示意义。

关键词: 最优化决策倾向, 延迟选择, 加工深度, 选择难度

Wang Huaiyong, Wu Jun, Wang Xinhui. Effect of Maximizing Tendency on Choice Deferral:The Serial Mediating Role of Processing Depth and Choice Difficulty[J]. Journal of Psychological Science, 2024, 47(3): 703-710.

王怀勇, 吴君, 王鑫慧. 最优化决策倾向对延迟选择的影响:加工深度与选择难度的链式中介^*[J]. 心理科学, 2024, 47(3): 703-710.

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