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Goal-based construction of preferences: task goals and the prominence effect

Publication ,  Journal Article
Fischer, GW; Carmon, Z; Ariely, D; Zauberman, G
Published in: Management Science
January 1, 1999

Preferences inferred from choice are more likely to favor the alternative that is superior with respect to the prominent (most important or salient) attribute than are preferences inferred from matching (direct tradeoff) judgments. This prominence effect violates standard models of rational choice and complicates the task of measuring preferences. In this article, we propose a new task-goal hypothesis regarding the prominence effect: The prominent attribute receives more weight in tasks whose goal is to differentiate among options than in tasks whose goal is to equate options. We use this hypothesis to generalize the prominence effect beyond choice and matching to several additional tasks, including the choice-based matching and difference comparison methods that are widely employed in decision analysis. The results of three studies provide strong support for the task-goal account of the prominence effect and cast doubt on competing explanations. We discuss the implications of these findings for descriptive decision theory and for preference measurement in decision analysis, public policy, and marketing.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Management Science

DOI

ISSN

0025-1909

Publication Date

January 1, 1999

Volume

45

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1057 / 1075

Related Subject Headings

  • Operations Research
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 38 Economics
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences
 

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Fischer, G. W., Carmon, Z., Ariely, D., & Zauberman, G. (1999). Goal-based construction of preferences: task goals and the prominence effect. Management Science, 45(8), 1057–1075. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.45.8.1057
Fischer, G. W., Z. Carmon, D. Ariely, and G. Zauberman. “Goal-based construction of preferences: task goals and the prominence effect.” Management Science 45, no. 8 (January 1, 1999): 1057–75. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.45.8.1057.
Fischer GW, Carmon Z, Ariely D, Zauberman G. Goal-based construction of preferences: task goals and the prominence effect. Management Science. 1999 Jan 1;45(8):1057–75.
Fischer, G. W., et al. “Goal-based construction of preferences: task goals and the prominence effect.” Management Science, vol. 45, no. 8, Jan. 1999, pp. 1057–75. Scopus, doi:10.1287/mnsc.45.8.1057.
Fischer GW, Carmon Z, Ariely D, Zauberman G. Goal-based construction of preferences: task goals and the prominence effect. Management Science. 1999 Jan 1;45(8):1057–1075.

Published In

Management Science

DOI

ISSN

0025-1909

Publication Date

January 1, 1999

Volume

45

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1057 / 1075

Related Subject Headings

  • Operations Research
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 38 Economics
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences