The Rebound of the Forgone Alternative
Arens, Zachary G. and Rebecca W. Hamilton (2017) "The Rebound of the Forgone Alternative," Journal of Consumer Psychology, doi/10.1016/j.jcps.2017.01.001
Posted: 28 Jan 2017
Date Written: January 27, 2017
Abstract
Fifty years of cognitive dissonance research suggests that when consumers make a difficult choice, the alternative they forgo is devalued for an extended period of time, making it less likely to be chosen in the future. In a series of four studies, we show that completely consuming the chosen alternative moderates this effect. After the chosen alternative has been consumed, creating a sense of consumption closure, the attractiveness of forgone alternative rebounds to its original value.
Keywords: forgone alternative; consumption closure; choice; cognitive dissonance; stage of consumption
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