IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/coacre/v22y2005i2p351-384.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Avoiding Accounting Fixation: Determinants of Cognitive Adaptation to Differences in Accounting Method

Author

Listed:
  • DAVID T. DEARMAN
  • MICHAEL D. SHIELDS

Abstract

Much research over the last 30 years has provided evidence that individuals display accounting fixation; that is, their cognitive process does not appropriately adapt to cross†sectional or temporal differences in an accounting method. This paper presents the results of a quasi†experimental test of the hypothesis that cognitive adaptation to a change in accounting method is an ordinal interactive function of three person characteristics: relevant accounting knowledge, general problem†solving ability, and intrinsic motivation to appropriately engage in the decision task. Based on a product†pricing decision task in which participants are provided with product costs reported by two generally employed product†costing methods (activity†based costing [ABC] and volume†based costing), the results show that the majority of participants did not change their cognitive behavior when there was a change in the costing method. Further, those participants who did adapt to the change in accounting method, and thus avoided accounting fixation, did so by debiasing costs reported by volume†based costing but not by ABC. Finally, these adapters generally exhibited high values for all three of the person characteristics compared with those who did not adapt.

Suggested Citation

  • David T. Dearman & Michael D. Shields, 2005. "Avoiding Accounting Fixation: Determinants of Cognitive Adaptation to Differences in Accounting Method," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(2), pages 351-384, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:22:y:2005:i:2:p:351-384
    DOI: 10.1506/RQ40-UR50-5CRL-YU8A
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1506/RQ40-UR50-5CRL-YU8A
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1506/RQ40-UR50-5CRL-YU8A?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Einhorn, Hj & Hogarth, Rm, 1981. "Behavioral Decision-Theory - Processes Of Judgment And Choice," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 1-31.
    2. Kothari, S. P., 2001. "Capital markets research in accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 105-231, September.
    3. Bonner, Se & Lewis, Bl, 1990. "Determinants Of Auditor Expertise," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28, pages 1-20.
    4. Chang, Dl & Birnberg, Jg, 1977. "Functional Fixity In Accounting Research - Perspective And New Data," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(2), pages 300-312.
    5. Libby, Robert & Luft, Joan, 1993. "Determinants of judgment performance in accounting settings: Ability, knowledge, motivation, and environment," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 425-450, July.
    6. Dyckman, Thomas R. & Hoskin, Robert E. & Swieringa, Robert J., 1982. "An accounting change and information processing changes," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Holmstrom, Bengt & Milgrom, Paul, 1991. "Multitask Principal-Agent Analyses: Incentive Contracts, Asset Ownership, and Job Design," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(0), pages 24-52, Special I.
    8. Libby, R & Lipe, Mg, 1992. "Incentives, Effort, And The Cognitive-Processes Involved In Accounting-Related Judgments," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 249-273.
    9. Wilner, Neil & Birnberg, Jacob, 1986. "Methodological problems in functional fixation research: Criticism and suggestions," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 71-80, January.
    10. Bloom, Robert & Elgers, Pieter T. & Murray, Dennis, 1984. "Functional fixation in product pricing: A comparison of individuals and groups," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, January.
    11. Steve Buchheit, 2004. "Fixed Cost Magnitude, Fixed Cost Reporting Format, and Competitive Pricing Decisions: Some Experimental Evidence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(1), pages 1-24, March.
    12. Hirst, DE & Hopkins, PE, 1998. "Comprehensive income reporting and analysts' valuation judgments," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36, pages 47-75.
    13. Bonner, Se & Davis, Js & Jackson, Br, 1992. "Expertise In Corporate-Tax Planning - The Issue Identification Stage," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30, pages 1-28.
    14. Jensen, Re, 1966. "Experimental Design For Study Of Effects Of Accounting Variations In Decision Making," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(2), pages 224-238.
    15. Maines, LA & McDaniel, LS & Harris, MS, 1997. "Implications of proposed segment reporting standards for financial analysts' investment judgments," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35, pages 1-24.
    16. Libby, Robert & Bloomfield, Robert & Nelson, Mark W., 2002. "Experimental research in financial accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(8), pages 775-810, November.
    17. Tan, HT & Kao, A, 1999. "Accountability effects on auditors' performance: The influence of knowledge, problem-solving ability, and task complexity," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 209-223.
    18. Libby, R, 1976. "Discussion Of Cognitive Changes Induced By Accounting Changes - Experimental-Evidence On Functional Fixation Hypothesis," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14, pages 18-24.
    19. Libby, Robert & Tan, Hun-Tong, 1994. "Modeling the determinants of audit expertise," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 19(8), pages 701-716, November.
    20. Bonner, Sarah E., 1994. "A model of the effects of audit task complexity," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 213-234, April.
    21. Ashton, Rh, 1976. "Cognitive Changes Induced By Accounting Changes - Experimental-Evidence On Functional Fixation Hypothesis," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14, pages 1-17.
    22. Clyde Coombs, 1941. "A factorial study of number ability," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 6(3), pages 161-189, June.
    23. Moon, Philip, 1990. "Some experimental evidence on functional fixation: A research note," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 193-198.
    24. Barnes, Paul & Webb, John, 1986. "Management information changes and functional fixation: Some experimental evidence from the public sector," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, January.
    25. Jiambalvo, J, 1979. "Performance Evaluation And Directed Job Effort - Model Development And Analysis In A Cpa Firm Setting," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(2), pages 436-455.
    26. Dyckman, Tr, 1964. "The Effects Of Alternative Accounting Techniques On Certain Management Decisions," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(1), pages 91-107.
    27. Mahendra Gupta & Ronald R. King, 1997. "An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Cost Information and Feedback on Product Cost Decisions," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(1), pages 99-127, March.
    28. Arunachalam, Vairam & Beck, Grant, 2002. "Functional fixation revisited: the effects of feedback and a repeated measures design on information processing changes in response to an accounting change," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(1-2), pages 1-25.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fox, Stephen, 2019. "Addressing the influence of groupthink during ideation concerned with new applications of technology in society," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 86-94.
    2. Stephen Fox, 2016. "Dismantling The Box — Applying Principles For Reducing Preconceptions During Ideation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(06), pages 1-27, August.
    3. Jeremy Michels, 2017. "Disclosure Versus Recognition: Inferences from Subsequent Events," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(1), pages 3-34, March.
    4. Tomáš Buus, 2009. "The Costing Formula Suitable for Pricing (Transfer Pricing) Decisions and Maximization of Business Value [Vhodný kalkulační vzorec s ohledem na rozhodování o ceně (transferové ceně) a maximalizaci ," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2009(2), pages 33-45.
    5. Gopalakrishnan, Mohan & Libby, Theresa & Samuels, Janet A. & Swenson, Dan, 2015. "The effect of cost goal specificity and new product development process on cost reduction performance," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1-11.
    6. Lisa-Marie Wibbeke & Maik Lachmann, 2020. "Psychology in management accounting and control research: an overview of the recent literature," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 275-328, September.
    7. Dilla, William N. & Janvrin, Diane J. & Jeffrey, Cynthia, 2014. "Pro forma accounting disclosures: The effect of reconciliations and financial reporting knowledge on nonprofessional investors' judgments," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 43-54.
    8. Jung Min Park & Hyoung Yong Lee & Sang Hyun Park & Ingoo Han, 2020. "Value Relevance of Accounts Receivable Factoring and Its Impact on Financing Strategy under the K-IFRS after COVID-19 from the Perspective of Accounting Big Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Cardinaels, Eddy, 2008. "The interplay between cost accounting knowledge and presentation formats in cost-based decision-making," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 582-602, August.
    10. Kerry A. Humphreys & Ken T. Trotman, 2022. "Judgment and decision making research on CSR reporting in the COVID‐19 pandemic environment," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 739-765, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Arunachalam, Vairam & Beck, Grant, 2002. "Functional fixation revisited: the effects of feedback and a repeated measures design on information processing changes in response to an accounting change," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(1-2), pages 1-25.
    2. Vergoossen, R. G. A., 1997. "Changes in accounting policies and investment analysts' fixation on accounting figures," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 589-607, August.
    3. Rajni Mala & Parmod Chand, 2015. "Judgment and Decision‐Making Research in Auditing and Accounting: Future Research Implications of Person, Task, and Environment Perspective," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(1), pages 1-50, March.
    4. Cardinaels, Eddy, 2008. "The interplay between cost accounting knowledge and presentation formats in cost-based decision-making," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 582-602, August.
    5. Andrew J. Rosman, 2011. "Auditors' going‐concern judgments: rigid, adaptive, or both?," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(1), pages 30-45, February.
    6. Bonner, Sarah E. & Sprinkle, Geoffrey B., 2002. "The effects of monetary incentives on effort and task performance: theories, evidence, and a framework for research," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(4-5), pages 303-345.
    7. Bernhard Hirsch, 2007. "Wertorientiertes Berichtswesen – Theoretisches Konzept versus praktische Umsetzung," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 161-185, August.
    8. Vergoossen, R.G.A., 1994. "Accounting changes and investment analysts' fixation on accounting numbers," Serie Research Memoranda 0012, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    9. Luft, Joan, 2016. "Management accounting in the laboratory and in social context: Four contrasts, 1975–2014," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 9-20.
    10. O'Donnell, Ed. & Koch, Bruce & Boone, Jeff, 2005. "The influence of domain knowledge and task complexity on tax professionals' compliance recommendations," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 145-165, February.
    11. Sprinkle, Geoffrey B., 2003. "Perspectives on experimental research in managerial accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 287-318.
    12. Alissa, Walid & Capkun, Vedran & Jeanjean, Thomas & Suca, Nadja, 2014. "An empirical investigation of the impact of audit and auditor characteristics on auditor performance," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 495-510.
    13. Waller, William S. & Shapiro, Brian & Sevcik, Galen, 1999. "Do cost-based pricing biases persist in laboratory markets?," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 24(8), pages 717-739, November.
    14. Ramnath, Sundaresh & Rock, Steve & Shane, Philip, 2008. "The financial analyst forecasting literature: A taxonomy with suggestions for further research," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 34-75.
    15. Luft, Joan & Shields, Michael D., 2003. "Mapping management accounting: graphics and guidelines for theory-consistent empirical research," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 169-249.
    16. Hunton, James E. & Wier, Benson & Stone, Dan N., 2000. "Succeeding in managerial accounting. Part 2: a structural equations analysis," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(8), pages 751-762, November.
    17. Stone, Dan N. & Hunton, James E. & Wier, Benson, 2000. "Succeeding in managerial accounting. Part 1: knowledge, ability, and rank," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(7), pages 697-715, October.
    18. Libby, Robert & Bloomfield, Robert & Nelson, Mark W., 2002. "Experimental research in financial accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(8), pages 775-810, November.
    19. Lau, Yeng Wai, 2014. "Aggregated or disaggregated information first?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(11), pages 2376-2384.
    20. David Hirshleifer & Sonya S. Lim & Siew Hong Teoh, 2011. "Limited Investor Attention and Stock Market Misreactions to Accounting Information," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 1(1), pages 35-73.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:22:y:2005:i:2:p:351-384. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1911-3846 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.