The effects of the number of alternative products and the way they are presented on the consumers' subjective statuses in online travel sites

Since the Internet can aggregate and distribute a large amount of information to users, providing numerous products for consumers has been recognised as a major advantage of electronic commerce. As a result of information overload, however, consumers facing many alternatives in online shops may have difficulty deciding which one they prefer. Based on the theory of decision style and prospect theory, this study explores whether too many products sold in online shops reduces consumers' subjective statuses towards their buying decision. A 3 × 3 between subjects experiment was conducted and showed that the buyers' decision styles, the quantity of alternative products and the information about it affect consumers' subjective statuses. These results suggest that we should consider the role of electronic intermediaries more carefully, and further examine the theory of information overload and the need for appropriate information literacy.