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Focusing on Desirability: The Effect of Decision Interruption and Suspension on Preferences

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  • Wendy Liu

Abstract

This research examines the phenomenon of interruptions and suspensions in decision making. It is proposed that information processing may change from a bottom-up, data-driven to a top-down, goal-directed mode after an interruption, thereby affecting preferences. In particular, in decisions involving desirability and feasibility conflicts, because desirability is a superordinate goal to feasibility, four studies found that when a decision is interrupted and later resumed, people become more likely to favor highly desirable but less feasible consumption, such as a high-risk, high-reward option or a high-quality, high-price option. A reduced focus on feasibility is found to underlie this effect. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

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  • Wendy Liu, 2008. "Focusing on Desirability: The Effect of Decision Interruption and Suspension on Preferences," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(4), pages 640-652, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:35:y:2008:i:4:p:640-652
    DOI: 10.1086/592126
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    4. Atakan, S. Sinem & Bagozzi, Richard P. & Yoon, Carolyn, 2014. "Consumer participation in the design and realization stages of production: How self-production shapes consumer evaluations and relationships to products," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 395-408.
    5. Beshears, John & Dai, Hengchen & Milkman, Katherine L. & Benartzi, Shlomo, 2021. "Using fresh starts to nudge increased retirement savings," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 72-87.
    6. Rai Dipankar & Lin Chien-Wei & Hong JungHwa & Kulick George, 2017. "The influence of relationship beliefs on gift giving," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 12(4), pages 697-709, December.
    7. Raphael Thomadsen & Robert P. Rooderkerk & On Amir & Neeraj Arora & Bryan Bollinger & Karsten Hansen & Leslie John & Wendy Liu & Aner Sela & Vishal Singh & K. Sudhir & Wendy Wood, 2018. "How Context Affects Choice," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 5(1), pages 3-14, March.
    8. Lin, Ying-Ching & Chang, Chiu-Chi Angela, 2021. "Influencing Consumer Responses to Highly Aesthetic Products: The Role of Mindsets," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 459-476.
    9. Su, Lujun & Tang, Binli & Nawijn, Jeroen, 2021. "How tourism activity shapes travel experience sharing: Tourist well-being and social context," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    10. Hengchen Dai & Katherine L. Milkman & Jason Riis, 2014. "The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(10), pages 2563-2582, October.
    11. Barney Tan & Cheng Yi & Hock C. Chan, 2015. "Research Note—Deliberation Without Attention: The Latent Benefits of Distracting Website Features for Online Purchase Decisions," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 26(2), pages 437-455, June.
    12. Long, James H. & Basoglu, K. Asli, 2016. "The impact of task interruption on tax accountants' professional judgment," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 96-113.
    13. Lin, Ying-Ching & Fang, Shiuan-Huei, 2013. "The face value of foreign currency on consumer price perception—The moderating effect of product substitution," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 745-751.
    14. Wang, Lili & You, Yanfen & Yang, Chun-Ming, 2020. "Restrained by resources: The effect of scarcity cues and childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on consumer preference for feasibility," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 557-571.
    15. Rai Dipankar & Lin Chien-Wei (Wilson) & Ierlan Magdoleen T., 2016. "The Influence of Scheduling Style on Assortment Size," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 11(4), pages 553-565, December.
    16. Selin Atalay, A. & Onur Bodur, H. & Bressoud, Etienne, 2017. "When and How Multitasking Impacts Consumer Shopping Decisions," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 187-200.
    17. Yan, Huili & Liao, Qiwei & Xiong, Hao, 2024. "The effect of emojis in travel experience sharing," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    18. Chang, En-Chung & Lv, Yilin & Chou, Ting-Jui & He, Qingwen & Song, Zhuozhao, 2014. "Now or later: Delay's effects on post-consumption emotions and consumer loyalty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(7), pages 1368-1375.
    19. Sang Kyu Park & Aner Sela & Amna Kirmani & Cait Lamberton, 2020. "Product Lineups: The More You Search, The Less You Find [Interaction Terms in Logit and Probit Models]," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 47(1), pages 40-55.
    20. Cheryl A. Nicholas & Andrew L. Cohen, 2016. "The effect of interruption on the decision-making process," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 11(6), pages 611-626, November.

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