The Goal of Consistency as a Cause of Information Distortion

Posted: 3 Oct 2007

See all articles by J. Edward Russo

J. Edward Russo

Cornell University - Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management

Kurt A. Carlson

Mason School of Business, William and Mary; Georgetown University - Department of Marketing

Meg Meloy

Pennsylvania State University - Smeal College of Business

Kevyn Yong

Cornell University, S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management

Abstract

Why, during a decision between new alternatives, do people bias their evaluation of new information to support a tentatively preferred option? We test three decision process goals as the potential drivers of such predecisional distortion of information: (a) to reduce the effort of integrating new information, (b) to increase the separation between alternatives, and (c) to achieve consistency between old and new units of information. Two methods, the nonconscious priming of each goal and assessment of the ambient level of goal activation, reveal that the goal of consistency drives information distortion. The results suggest a potential role for both the consistency goal and our combination of methods in helping explain other judgment and decision biases.

Keywords: Biases, choice, decision process, goals, information distortion

Suggested Citation

Russo, J. Edward and Carlson, Kurt A. and Meloy, Meg and Yong, Kevyn, The Goal of Consistency as a Cause of Information Distortion. Johnson School Research Paper Series No. 04-07, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1019030

J. Edward Russo (Contact Author)

Cornell University - Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853
United States

Kurt A. Carlson

Mason School of Business, William and Mary ( email )

P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
United States

Georgetown University - Department of Marketing ( email )

Washington, DC 20057
United States

Meg Meloy

Pennsylvania State University - Smeal College of Business ( email )

University Park, PA 16802
United States

Kevyn Yong

Cornell University, S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853
United States

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