Context effects and models of preferential choice: implications for consumer behavior

Abstract

The article summarizes extant research on context effects and choice theories in a straightforward fashion. The context effects are used as benchmarks to compare six choice theories. The context effects include similarity, attraction, compromise, and reference point effects. The considered theories include simple scalability model, random utility model, elimination by aspects model, strategy switching models, componential context model, and connectionist network model of choice. The article discusses the implications of each model for consumer behavior, and suggests that the choice of model should depend on the characteristics of products, consumers and purchase process.