Le Thanh Truc – BBAEi6 – 11230402
The report on the effect of heuristic on consumer behaviors
A heuristic in psychology is a mental shortcut or rule of thumb that
simplifies decision-making and problem-solving.
1. Experiment idea
The effect of heuristic that images, videos, language and context can
impact purchasing behavior.
2. Research method
a. Participants
The study included 20 participants with a diverse sample in terms of
age, gender, and socioeconomic background that allow us to assess
the heuristic effect across different demographic groups. Then I
randomly divide participants into 2 groups: a control group (no
heuristic) and an experimental group (with heuristic) to fill 2
different forms. Each group was presented with different product
lines: luxury goods (Airpods) and normal goods (Devia Earpods).
b. Required tasks
With the experimental group, participants were required to watch a
short video containing positive content and unrelated to the product
choice which makes them feel happy. In addition, I extend my thank
with positive adjectives such as “pride”, “kindness” and “love”,
adding some red hearts icon and choose yellow as a color theme –
associated with happiness, optimism and positivity. Participants can
also see an image with motivation quote to encourage they do what
they want.
While with the control group, participants just read a neutral
passage about the require to fill the form and contacting if needed.
The words, the color theme and image in this form have nothing
special in order to not affect the participants’ emotion that can lead
to change in their consumer behavior.
c. Questions asked
The first question to ask participants is about product preference:
“Which products do you prefer to buy?” in order that I can define if
positive heuristic leads to a stronger preference for the premium
product compared to the control group.
Secondly, the participants are asked about their willingness to pay
for this product on a scale from 1 to 10 (not willing to very willing)
to provide quantiative data on how much they value their option at
that moment. “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your
willingness to pay for Luxury goods?” or “On a scale of 1 to 10, how
would you rate your willingness to pay for Normal goods?”. This
allows me to assess whether the group with heuristic is not only
more likely to choose the luxury goods but also willing to pay
significantly more for it.
Together, these questions help illuminate the impact of positive
heuristic on consumer decision-making. They show whether
exposure to positive language can lead to a higher likelihood of
choosing premium options and greater monetary commitment.
d. Control of confounding factors
In order to minimize the confounding factors and ensure the
integrity of the results, the survey was conducted in a standardized
online environment to reduce external influences. Besides,
participants were not informed about the study's purpose or the
specific heuristics being tested until the end, preventing any bias in
their responses. Moreover, all participants viewed identical product
descriptions and images, eliminating variability in product
perception.
3. Experiment results
The responses from participants were compiled and analyzed using
descriptive statistics. The average willingness to pay were calculated
for both groups. The results are summarized in the tables below.
The experimental group’s result:
The control group’s result:
As we can see from 2 tables above, 80% participants of group with
heuristic chose luxury goods with the average willingness to pay is
8.14. Otherwise, only 30% participants of group without heuristic chose
luxury goods and their average willingness is quite low at 4.3. Although
the control group is more likely to choose normal goods, their average
willingness to pay is still lower than the other, at 6.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, this statistical results suggest that implicit heuristic with
positive words significantly influenced consumer choices. Participants
in the experimental group, who were exposed to positive content, were
more likely to choose the luxury goods and demonstrated a higher
willingness to pay compared to those in the control group. This finding
underscores the effectiveness of heuristic in shaping consumer
behavior, ultimately revealing how language and context can impact
purchasing behavior. even when participants are unaware of the
influence.
5. References
Cialdini, R. B. (2009). Influence: Science and Practice. Allyn & Bacon.
Bargh, J. A., & Pietromonaco, P. R. (1982). Automatic Information
Processing and Social Perception: The Influence of Trait Information
Preceding the Impressions of Persons. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 43(3), 437-449.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRAKt0GakJM&authuser=0
6. Appendix
- Survey form:
+ Experimental group: Experimental group survey - Google
Forms
+ Control group: Control group survey - Google Forms
- The survey responses:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ox2dyLQ7HHcP783noV
rBxp3YC2rjGbNeBNPmSYvf-1c/edit?usp=sharing
