They’re vs They Are: Contractions influence product choice and judgments

Contractions are common in both written and spoken English. For example, it is common to use “they’re” instead of “they are.” Contractions are also popular in marketing communications and ad copy. However, despite the popularity of contractions, there is no existing work on how their use can influence individuals’ information processing. Given that language—not just the text but also linguistic forms—can exert an influence on information processing, the possibility that contractions might also do so warrants investigation. Across three experiments, we examine the effect of contractions on consumers’ product choices and judgments. We find that contractions increase choice for products that are higher on feasibility (vs desirability) and those with secondary (vs primary) features while they decreased intentions to engage in COVID-protection behaviors that would be high on feasibility. These effects are consistent with greater concrete thinking. Thus, we situate our research within Construal Level Theory to propose that contractions have an effect on individuals’ cognition, which we demonstrate in consumption-relevant settings. Our work contributes to marketing theory and practice. But, since our effect is novel, in our General Discussion, we also highlight limitations to our work and offer suggestions for future research.