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From Inherent Value to Incentive Value: When and Why Pointless Effort Enhances Consumer Preference

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  • Sara Kim
  • Aparna A. Labroo

Abstract

Companies typically use clear fonts and bright pictures in their ads, Web sites, and product-package designs; place their products on easy-to-reach shelves; and emphasize ease-of-usage to make their products appear desirable to consumers. However, we suggest that customers focused on "incentive" value (getting the best product) may instead see products associated with noninstrumental (pointless) effort as more desirable. We suggest that because effort is usually required to get the best outcomes, people looking for the best outcomes also mistakenly presume effort must imply the best possible outcome. Across five studies, we show that highlighting incentive value--for instance, by message framing or by measuring chronic focus or by manipulating situational focus on incentive value--enhances preference toward outcomes associated with noninstrumental effort. We discuss the importance of our findings for understanding everyday consumption decisions and argue for a widespread tendency among individuals wanting the best to infer value from noninstrumental effort.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Kim & Aparna A. Labroo, 2011. "From Inherent Value to Incentive Value: When and Why Pointless Effort Enhances Consumer Preference," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 38(4), pages 712-742.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:doi:10.1086/660806
    DOI: 10.1086/660806
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaohua Zhao & Yuhuang Zheng & Fang Wan, 2020. "Unrelated efforts trigger wishful winning? The impact of extraneous efforts on judgments of winning probability among Chinese consumers," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(5), pages 560-581, November.
    2. Xiaohua Zhao & Yuhuang Zheng & Fang Wan, 0. "Unrelated efforts trigger wishful winning? The impact of extraneous efforts on judgments of winning probability among Chinese consumers," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-22.
    3. Lee, Shinhyoung & Park, Kiwan, 2022. "How looking forward over the short period to-go affects consumer enjoyment: Role of temporal scarcity in access-based services," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    4. Chun-Tuan Chang & Xing-Yu (Marcos) Chu, 2020. "The give and take of cause-related marketing: purchasing cause-related products licenses consumer indulgence," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 203-221, March.
    5. Huang, Yunhui & Jia, Yanli, 2019. "Remaining focus increases task evaluation and future task perseverance," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 251-263.
    6. Kim, Hye-Young, 2024. "The different roads not taken: considering diverse foregone alternatives motivates future goal persistence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121459, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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