Information Distortion in the Evaluation of a Single Option

42 Pages Posted: 2 Jun 2006

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

Samuel Bond

Duke University

Robin Tanner

Duke University

Abstract

Extending previous work on biased predecisional processing, we investigate the distortion of information during the evaluation of a single option. A coherence-based account of the evaluation task suggests that individuals will form an initial assessment of favorability toward the option and then bias their evaluation of subsequent information to cohere with this initial disposition. Three experiments test this hypothesis. Initial disposition was manipulated (Studies 1 and 3) or measured (Study 2), and attribute ratings were collected as indicators of information distortion. Results from all three experiments indicate that attribute evaluations were biased to favor initial dispositions. These findings provide evidence that information distortion is one cause of primacy effects in judgment and decision making settings involving a single option.

Keywords: Predecisional bias, Information distortion, Primacy Effects, Singular evaluation

Suggested Citation

Russo, J. Edward and Carlson, Kurt A. and Meloy, Meg and Bond, Samuel and Tanner, Robin, Information Distortion in the Evaluation of a Single Option. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Forthcoming, Johnson School Research Paper Series No. 09-06, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=905928

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

Samuel Bond

Duke University ( email )

100 Fuqua Drive
Durham, NC 27708-0204
United States

Robin Tanner

Duke University ( email )

100 Fuqua Drive
Durham, NC 27708-0204
United States