{"title":"Enhancing Consumer Satisfaction in Complex Choices Through a Sequential Elimination Approach","authors":"Olga Poluektova, Martina Barjaková, Peter D. Lunn","doi":"10.1111/joca.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Consumers often face challenges in making choices when their preferences are unclear, the number of alternatives is high, and information is complex. This can result in reduced engagement and satisfaction with the process and result of choice. These negative effects can be countered by sequentially eliminating choice alternatives via a series of more manageable trade-offs. We applied this approach to private health insurance choices, designing a product comparison tool that splits this complex decision into a sequence of simpler trade-offs. In a pre-registered online study with 801 participants, we compared the sequential tool to a regulator's existing comparison tool. Results showed higher satisfaction and a clear preference for the sequential tool across sociodemographic groups. The sequential tool also positively influenced satisfaction with chosen health insurance plans. Our findings support the potential of simplified, sequential elimination to enhance choice satisfaction, suggesting opportunities for developing consumer decision aids in complex product markets.</p>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/joca.70000","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143481536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brandon R. McFadden, Kawsheha Muraleetharan, Benjamin Campbell, Adam Rabinowitz, Tyler Mark, Michael Popp
{"title":"Consumer Confusion About Product Names Commonly Used to Describe Hemp-Based Oils","authors":"Brandon R. McFadden, Kawsheha Muraleetharan, Benjamin Campbell, Adam Rabinowitz, Tyler Mark, Michael Popp","doi":"10.1111/joca.70004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.70004","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Consumers can now purchase cannabinoid <i>Cannabidiol</i> (CBD) oil from retailers. Product names are often used to communicate the differences in the contents of CBD oils; for example, “CBD isolate” only contains CBD, whereas “full spectrum CBD” contains terpenes, flavonoids, and some delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The names used to describe CBD oil could cause consumer confusion about actual product contents. We conducted an online survey with two product selection tasks to examine confusion associated with CBD oil names. Products in one selection task displayed names used to describe products, whereas the other selection task presented the attributes associated with the products. This design allowed us to conduct within-subject tests to determine consumer confusion associated with the product names commonly used to describe CBD oils. This study provides valuable insights into consumer confusion and preferences regarding CBD products, and findings suggest that more detailed product attribute information can help reduce consumer confusion.</p>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/joca.70004","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143466231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Distinguishing Between Recovery and Transformation: A Systematic Review of Purchasing and Consumption During Crises","authors":"Eimante Survilaite, Vilte Auruskeviciene, Žilvinas Židonis, Dalius Misiunas, Justina Sidlauskiene, Nerijus Maciulis","doi":"10.1111/joca.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Global crises significantly disrupt established consumption patterns, requiring consumers to adapt their behaviors and routines in response to market system changes. Despite the critical importance of understanding consumer resilience during such disruptions, academic research remains fragmented. Through a systematic review of 126 articles, this study develops a novel conceptualization of consumer resilience encompassing two distinct pathways: recovery-oriented adaptation, where consumers strive to restore pre-crisis consumption patterns, and transformation-oriented adaptation, involving fundamental shifts in consumption structures and practices. By distinguishing between recovery and transformation pathways, this framework advances the theoretical understanding of consumer resilience beyond simple successful versus unsuccessful adaptation. The study concludes with an integrated research agenda addressing theoretical, methodological, and contextual priorities for advancing scholarly understanding of consumer resilience.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Utilization of Alternative Financial Services and the Role of Financial Capability","authors":"Swarn Chatterjee, Yunhee Chang","doi":"10.1111/joca.12614","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12614","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper examines the factors associated with access to and frequency of use of alternative financial services (AFS) using a composite dataset comprising of geographic locations of AFS establishments and state payday policies merged with the geo-coded 2018 and 2021 pooled waves of the FINRA National Financial Capability Study. The results provide mixed evidence of the association between the density of AFS providers in an area and the use of AFS. Objective financial knowledge was negatively associated with both the likelihood and frequency of AFS use. Perceived Money Management Ability (PMMA) was also negatively associated with the use of AFS but not with the frequency of AFS use. Controlling for financial access and capability variables, Black consumers and low-income consumers were more likely to use AFS. The implications for policymakers, scholars, and researchers are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/joca.12614","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143439151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Digital Vulnerability: Exploring the Mediating Role of FoMO in the Relationship Between Dark Triad Personality and Social Media Addiction","authors":"Chien-Po Liao, Chi-Cheng Wu, Eva Chia Hua Chiu","doi":"10.1111/joca.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study underscores the necessity of assessing well-being concerns in online environments through the lens of individual differences, going beyond simply addressing external vulnerabilities. It examines the relationships among dark personality traits, fear of missing out emotions, and social media addiction. The stability and identifiability of these traits are essential for formulating practical policies and interventions. Structural equation modeling reveals the varied influences of dark personality traits on social media addiction. Specifically, while Machiavellianism has a direct effect on SMA, its indirect influence through FoMO is not significant. Additionally, narcissism influences SMA both directly and indirectly, and psychopathy impacts SMA indirectly through FoMO. Based on these findings, we recommend that platforms and businesses adjust their algorithms and content strategies based on the personality-driven mechanisms identified, to enhance consumer welfare and promote more effective management practices.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143431260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"COVID-19 Labor Market Shocks and Withdrawals From Retirement Accounts: Understanding the Moderating Role of Financial Knowledge","authors":"Sunwoo Lee, Kyoung Tae Kim, Sherman D. Hanna","doi":"10.1111/joca.12616","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12616","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We explored the relationship between COVID-19 labor market shocks and the likelihood of hardship withdrawals or plan loans from retirement accounts, which could significantly impact workers' retirement savings. We found that about 14% of working-age respondents took a hardship withdrawal or plan loan. Those reporting a COVID-19 labor market shock had odds of a hardship withdrawal as much as 3.8 times as high as otherwise comparable respondents who did not have a shock. Additionally, we found that the relationship to a COVID-19-related labor shock was moderated by the objective and subjective financial knowledge of individuals, suggesting a potential role for financial education in alleviating retirement risks. A notable finding is that respondents exhibiting financial knowledge overconfidence were more likely to take a plan loan or a hardship withdrawal than those with appropriate levels of confidence or low levels of confidence. This study offers important insights for policymakers, educators, and practitioners.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143111713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reducing Food Waste Behavior for Sustainable Consumption: The Effect of Food Consumption Values on Food Waste","authors":"Hyesun Hwang, Su-Jung Nam, Yu Lim Lee","doi":"10.1111/joca.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We examined the factors influencing food waste in Korean households. We analyzed data sourced from the Korea Rural Economic Institute using hierarchical regression to assess the impacts of individual- and household-level factors, as well as food consumption values on food waste. Results showed that the main effects of age, metropolis, apartment, monthly food expenditure, frequency of food shopping, change in food expenditure, household size, ethical value, and convenience value were statistically significant. Food waste also increased with an increase in age, metropolis, frequency of food shopping, household size, and convenience value. As ethical values decreased, food waste increased. The influence of household size was relatively the largest, and the interactive effect of household size with functional value and convenience value as moderating variables was statistically significant.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143111714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kristin Stewart, Rebeca Perren, Charles Chambers, Ryley Zulauf
{"title":"In tech we rely: How technology dependence fuels consumer vulnerability","authors":"Kristin Stewart, Rebeca Perren, Charles Chambers, Ryley Zulauf","doi":"10.1111/joca.12610","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12610","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding and mitigating consumer vulnerability is critical in an age of pervasive misinformation and deception. This research examines how technology dependence can heighten consumer vulnerability by elevating the risk of being deceived in the marketplace. Drawing from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research and Media Systems Dependency Theory (MSD), we propose that high technology dependence depletes cognitive resources, reduces consumer skepticism, and increases susceptibility to deception, an essential element of consumer vulnerability. Through three empirical studies, we show that technology dependence heightens consumers' vulnerability to deceptive information, primarily through reduced skepticism. Furthermore, we found that consumers' moods moderate this relationship, with negative moods mitigating and positive moods amplifying the adverse effects of technology dependence on skepticism. Our findings reveal mechanisms driving consumer vulnerability in the digital age, offering valuable insights for marketers and policymakers to enhance consumer protection, as well as marketplace and digital literacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"58 4","pages":"905-945"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142868409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clifford J. Shultz, Marlys J. Mason, Amy Greiner Fehl, Stacey Menzel Baker, Karine Aoun Barakat, Sterling A. Bone, Meredith Rhoads Thomas
{"title":"Social traps and the wicked problem of single-use plastics: A marketing, policy, and consumer-citizen perspective","authors":"Clifford J. Shultz, Marlys J. Mason, Amy Greiner Fehl, Stacey Menzel Baker, Karine Aoun Barakat, Sterling A. Bone, Meredith Rhoads Thomas","doi":"10.1111/joca.12609","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12609","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wicked problems pose both immediate and existential threats. Within this article we explore the underlying nature of wicked problems, including the social traps embedded in them. We deconstruct the ecosystem surrounding single-use plastics to make key points regarding controversies and conflicting interests surrounding wicked problems. We propose that wicked problems may be reframed by unpacking the relationships between individuals and collectives and how social traps are understood in terms of time horizon, ownership, responsibility, and involvement. We argue that resolutions to social traps are paramount to resolving wicked problems in the case of single-use plastics and to wicked problems more generally. We draw from marketing, psychology, public policy, and consumer research literature to suggest specific ways marketing can mitigate or perhaps eliminate the insidious dynamic of social traps and wicked problems, and in turn affect positive outcomes to enhance the short-term and long-term well-being for many consumers and stakeholders.</p>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"58 4","pages":"1193-1211"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142868712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Against the odds: Unveiling the racial dynamics of financial resilience in post-apartheid South Africa","authors":"Felix Essel-Gaisey PhD, Tsun-Feng Chiang PhD","doi":"10.1111/joca.12608","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12608","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent economic shocks have intensified financial distress and inequality, prompting research into the factors contributing to financial resilience. Previous studies have primarily employed unidimensional measures of financial resilience, neglecting the role of race. This paper addresses knowledge gaps by exploring how race influences financial resilience. Using data from the South African National Income Dynamic Study, this paper constructs a multidimensional financial resilience index, examines the relationship between race and financial resilience, and identifies potential mediating variables. The results indicate that approximately 52% of South Africans are financially resilient. Empirically, propensity score matching shows that Non-Whites exhibit approximately 11% lower financial resilience levels than whites. Additionally, the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition proves that discrimination accounts for approximately 3.7% of this disparity. Financial resilience among Non-Whites would have increased by 1.5% if they had similar characteristics to Whites. Furthermore, mental health disorders and low trust mediate the relationship between race and financial resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":47976,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Consumer Affairs","volume":"58 4","pages":"976-1007"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142868018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}