Skip to main content

Let's be honest about the attraction effect

Publication ,  Journal Article
Huber, J; Payne, JW; Puto, CP
Published in: Journal of Marketing Research
January 1, 2014

Frederick, Lee, and Baskin (2014) and Yang and Lynn (2014) argue that the conditions for obtaining the attraction effect are so restrictive that the practical validity of the attraction effect should be questioned. In this commentary, the authors first ground the attraction (asymmetric dominance) effect in its historical context as a test of an important theoretical assumption from rational choice theory. Drawing on the research reported by scholars from many fields of study, the authors argue that the finding of an asymmetric dominance effect remains robust because it holds when the conditions of the study are essentially replicated. Next, the authors identify some of the factors that mitigate (and amplify) the attraction effect and then position the effect into a larger theoretical debate involving the extent to which preferences are constructed versus merely revealed. The authors conclude by arguing that researchers who try to measure values as well as choice architects who attempt to shape values must be sensitive to the context-dependent properties of choice behavior, as illustrated by the attraction effect. © 2014, American Marketing Association.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Journal of Marketing Research

DOI

ISSN

0022-2437

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

51

Issue

4

Start / End Page

520 / 525

Related Subject Headings

  • Marketing
  • 3506 Marketing
  • 1505 Marketing
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Huber, J., Payne, J. W., & Puto, C. P. (2014). Let's be honest about the attraction effect. Journal of Marketing Research, 51(4), 520–525. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.14.0208
Huber, J., J. W. Payne, and C. P. Puto. “Let's be honest about the attraction effect.” Journal of Marketing Research 51, no. 4 (January 1, 2014): 520–25. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.14.0208.
Huber J, Payne JW, Puto CP. Let's be honest about the attraction effect. Journal of Marketing Research. 2014 Jan 1;51(4):520–5.
Huber, J., et al. “Let's be honest about the attraction effect.” Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 51, no. 4, Jan. 2014, pp. 520–25. Scopus, doi:10.1509/jmr.14.0208.
Huber J, Payne JW, Puto CP. Let's be honest about the attraction effect. Journal of Marketing Research. 2014 Jan 1;51(4):520–525.

Published In

Journal of Marketing Research

DOI

ISSN

0022-2437

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

51

Issue

4

Start / End Page

520 / 525

Related Subject Headings

  • Marketing
  • 3506 Marketing
  • 1505 Marketing