Consumer-Product Skill Matching: The Effects of Difficulty on Relative Self-Assessment and Choice.

Consumers infer their best product choice from comparative information about themselves and products (Prelec, Wernerfelt, and Zettelmeyer). Though common, this "matching" process leads to unstable preferences when perceived product ranks change due to product array manipulations. This article proposes that another variable, task difficulty, also leads to inconsistent choices through the matching process. Accuracy resulting from matching is also assessed by exploring domains where comparative standing is based on measurable, objective skill. The present studies show that people rely heavily on their relative self-assessments in product choice, but these estimates are often inaccurate and thus lead to unintended and inconsistent choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Consumer Research is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)