Article 22-24

Question 1

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What is the main purpose of the article?

Answer 1

The authors examine how Generation Y (Millennials) make consumption decisions through a dual-system lens (System 1 automatic vs. System 2 deliberative).
They argue that Gen Y decisions often blend intuitive/emotional processing with analytical reasoning depending on context, product type, and involvement levels.

Question 2

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What dual-system model do they rely on?

Answer 2

They apply System 1 / System 2 frameworks:

System 1: fast, heuristic-driven, intuitive, emotional

System 2: slow, analytical, effortful, rational
Gen Y toggles between these systems more fluidly than older generations.

Question 3

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What characterizes Generation Y’s consumer style?

Answer 3

Gen Y is:

Highly digitally literate

Seeks instant information

Values authenticity

Comfortable switching between intuitive and analytical modes
They rely on intuition for quick decisions but use analysis when choices feel high-stakes.

Question 4

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): How does technology shape Gen Y decision making?

Answer 4

Technology accelerates System 1 decision making by providing constant cues, reviews, and social information—but also enables deep System 2 analysis by giving access to unlimited product details.
This makes Gen Y hybrid decision makers.

Question 5

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What role does social influence play for Gen Y?

Answer 5

Gen Y relies heavily on:

Social networks

Peer reviews

Online communities
Social proof often triggers System 1, leading to quick choices based on popularity, trendiness, or identity alignment.

Question 6

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What product categories trigger System 1 for Gen Y?

Answer 6

System 1 dominates with:

Fashion

Cosmetics

Music & entertainment

Convenience goods
These purchases rely on impulse, affect, identity, and peer cues.

Question 7

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What product categories trigger System 2 for Gen Y?

Answer 7

System 2 is used for:

Electronics

Financial products

Education-related purchases

Higher-ticket durable goods
These require research, comparison, and justification.

Question 8

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): How does identity factor into Gen Y decision making?

Answer 8

Gen Y uses consumption to express personal and social identity.
System 1 helps them choose items that “feel like me,” while System 2 helps justify these choices when needed.
Identity relevance strengthens emotional processing.

Question 9

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What are the main drivers of impulsive decision making?

Answer 9

High emotional involvement

Social validation cues

Digital immediacy (one-click shopping)

Low perceived risk
This reflects fast, heuristic-driven (System 1) processing.

Question 10

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What conditions increase System 2 use among Gen Y?

Answer 10

High financial stakes

Cognitive involvement

Accountability to others (family, peers)

Ambiguous or risky situations
Under these conditions, Gen Y behaves more rationally and systematically.

Question 11

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): What is the “flexible model of decision switching”?

Answer 11

Gen Y switches between systems based on:

Context

Motivation

Perceived importance
This flexibility distinguishes them from older generations, who rely more consistently on one dominant decision style.

Question 12

Viswanathan & Jain (2013): How does this article relate to consumer psychology, and how can marketers use it?

Answer 12

Consumer Psychology Relevance:

Demonstrates that Gen Y uses both intuitive and analytical processing.

Highlights roles of identity, emotion, social norms, and technology in shaping decisions.

Supports dual-system theories as powerful frameworks for predicting behavior.

Marketing Applications:

Use emotional appeals, aesthetics, and social cues for System 1 products (fashion, lifestyle goods).

Provide detailed specs, comparisons, and data for System 2 products (technology, finance).

Combine identity-based messaging with transparent information to appeal to both systems.

Use digital channels to align with Gen Y’s fast switching between intuitive and analytical thinking.

Question 13

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What was the main goal of the study?

Answer 13

To examine how sensory expectations created by wine labels (origin cues) influence:

Perceived taste of the wine

Amount of food consumed with the wine
They tested whether expectations could shape both taste ratings and behavior.

Question 14

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What manipulation did the researchers use?

Answer 14

They served the same wine but randomly labeled it as either:

“California wine” (positive expectation)

“North Dakota wine” (negative/neutral expectation)
This label created different expectations before tasting.

Question 15

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What was the key finding about taste ratings?

Answer 15

Participants rated the same wine as:

Better tasting when labeled “California”

Worse tasting when labeled “North Dakota”
Expectations strongly influenced perceived flavor.

Question 16

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What effect did the wine label have on food intake?

Answer 16

Those who thought they were drinking California wine ate significantly more of the accompanying meal.
Positive expectations → increased consumption.

Question 17

(Wansink et al., 2007) — Why did expectations influence behavior?

Answer 17

Expectations shaped participants’ initial interpretations of the wine → influenced mood → increased enjoyment → increased food intake.
This is consistent with top-down processing.

Question 18

(Wansink et al., 2007) — How does this study relate to the halo effect?

Answer 18

A positive label (“California”) created a halo, making:

The wine taste better

The whole dining experience seem higher quality

Food seem more enjoyable

Question 19

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What does the study reveal about sensory expectations?

Answer 19

Expectations can override actual sensory input.
Labels, branding, and origin cues shape what people believe they taste, even when the stimulus is identical.

Question 20

(Wansink et al., 2007) — How does this research fit into mindless eating theory?

Answer 20

Consumers often eat based on cues, not hunger.
A “good wine” cue triggered mindless increases in intake, illustrating environmental influences on consumption.

Question 21

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What does the study say about top-down processing in consumption?

Answer 21

Top-down expectations (created by the wine label) shaped bottom-up sensory experience.
Expectations influenced taste, enjoyment, and subsequent behavior.

Question 22

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What practical implication does the study have for restaurants?

Answer 22

Small expectation cues—like descriptions, labels, or origin—can significantly improve:

Customer enjoyment

Food consumption

Overall dining satisfaction

Question 23

(Wansink et al., 2007) — What limitations did the researchers note?

Answer 23

Conducted in a controlled university dining setting

Only one type of wine tested

Cultural expectations about wine regions may differ across countries
Generalizability may be limited.

Question 24

(Wansink et al., 2007) — How does this study relate to consumer psychology, and how can marketers apply it?

Answer 24

Consumer Psychology Relevance:

Demonstrates expectation-driven perception: consumers taste what they expect to taste.

Shows how extrinsic cues (labels, descriptions, brand origins) override actual sensory information.

Illustrates halo effects and top-down processing in consumption.

Marketing Applications:

Use positive origin cues and descriptive labels to enhance perceived quality.

Frame products with imagery or wording that signals premium quality.

Use naming, packaging, and menu descriptions to increase enjoyment and consumption.

Small expectation cues can meaningfully influence both perceived taste and purchasing behavior.

Question 25

Zhang et al. (2021) — What is the main research question of the article?

Answer 25

The authors examine how the physical space between products (interspace) on retail shelves influences consumers’ judgments of product size, and how these size perceptions impact product evaluation and purchase intentions.

Question 26

Zhang et al. (2021) — What is interspace and why does it matter?

Answer 26

Interspace = the amount of empty space separating products on a display. The study finds that greater interspace makes products appear larger, even when actual size is identical, due to visual context effects.

Question 27

Zhang et al. (2021) — What is the core perceptual mechanism underlying the effect of interspace?

Answer 27

Consumers judge size relatively, not absolutely. More space around a product increases the perceptual contrast, making it stand out and appear larger. This is a contextual visual illusion similar to classic size-contrast effects.

Question 28

Zhang et al. (2021) — How does interspace influence product size estimation?

Answer 28

When products are displayed with more surrounding space, consumers: Overestimate the product’s physical dimensions Rate it as bigger or more substantial Assume greater volume or quantity

Question 29

Zhang et al. (2021) — How does interspace affect perceived product quality?

Answer 29

Increased interspace leads consumers to infer that the product is: More premium Higher quality More expensive Because spacious displays signal brand confidence and luxury.

Question 30

Zhang et al. (2021) — What types of products show the strongest interspace effect?

Answer 30

Visually evaluated products, especially those where: Size matters for consumption (snacks, packaged goods) Shape is simple and easy to compare Effects are weaker for complex, irregular shapes or non-visual goods.

Question 31

Zhang et al. (2021) — What moderates the interspace effect?

Answer 31

The effect is stronger when: Consumers are not highly motivated to inspect size Consumers rely on visual heuristics No explicit size information is given It weakens when actual size is clearly labeled or easy to compare across products.

Question 32

Zhang et al. (2021) — How does interspace influence willingness to pay (WTP)?

Answer 32

Larger perceived size increases: Willingness to pay Purchase likelihood Perceived value Consumers believe they are getting “more” for the price.

Question 33

Zhang et al. (2021) — How does interspace shape shelf and store perception?

Answer 33

Wide spacing communicates: Premium retail atmosphere Clean, curated presentation Lower visual clutter This is why luxury stores often use minimalist, spaced displays.

Question 34

Zhang et al. (2021) — How does cognitive effort influence the interspace effect?

Answer 34

Interspace effects rely on quick, intuitive (System 1) judgments. When consumers deliberately analyze product information (System 2), the effect weakens.

Question 35

Zhang et al. (2021) — What are potential risks or limitations of using wide interspace?

Answer 35

Reduces number of products displayed Can signal high price, turning away budget shoppers Effect may not work for very small or irregular items May conflict with discount-store norms (high density = low prices)

Question 36

Zhang et al. (2021) — How does this article relate to consumer psychology, and how can marketers use the findings?

Answer 36

Consumer Psychology Relevance: Demonstrates how visual context shapes product perception. Shows consumers rely on size heuristics, not accurate measurement. Supports theories of perceptual contrast and display-based inference. Marketing Applications: Use wider interspace to make products appear larger & more premium. Apply spacious shelf layouts in luxury or high-margin categories. For value brands, reduce interspace to communicate low price. Use spacing strategically in online product grids to enhance perceived size. Increase interspace when size is a key driver of purchase.

Question 37

What is PRISMA

Answer 37

PRISMA stands for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. It is a standardized framework used to make sure systematic reviews and meta-analyses are transparent, rigorous, and replicable. PRISMA doesn’t analyze the data — it ensures that how the studies were chosen is clear, unbiased, and reproducible.

Question 38

PRISMA Steps

Answer 38

Identification: - Search databases and other sources for studies. - Record how many total records are found. - Remove duplicates. Screening: - Look at titles and abstracts to quickly remove studies that clearly don’t meet criteria. - Keep only potentially relevant ones. Eligibility: - Read the full-text of the remaining studies. - Apply inclusion/exclusion criteria based on the research question (e.g., year range, methodology, sample type). - Exclude studies that don’t qualify and record why. Included: - Final set of studies used in the systematic review and/or meta-analysis. - These are the ones that meet all criteria and contain data suitable for synthesis.