To Buy or Not to Buy: Response Mode Effects on Consumer Choice

Abstract

This article extends research on evaluation differences in response modes to situations in which the no-choice option is available. Prior research on choice deferral has presented the no-choice option as just another response option (i.e., an unconditional brand-choice response mode), which has its primary focus on the selection decision. However, consumers in many marketplace situations may consider the buy/no-buy decision before the selection decision (i.e., a buy/no-buy response mode). This article examines the differences in evaluation processes and choice deferral for the two response modes. The authors' theoretical account suggests that an initial focus on the buy/no-buy decision activates greater use of alternative-based evaluations, thus making purchase deferral more sensitive to the valence of shared features and category reference information than in the unconditional brand-choice mode. The authors provide process evidence for their account and consider limiting conditions.