想像觀點對選擇困難的影響：以解釋水平為中介變數

Abstract

隨電商科技日益發展，消費者擁有更多購物選擇，同時選擇困難亦成為消費者經常面臨的情境。當消費者產生選擇困難時，將會降低其滿意度，且可能引發延後選擇甚至退貨等行為，因此如何從行銷手段上減少消費者選擇困難，是企業與行銷人員必須了解的重要課題。本研究從解釋水平的角度深入探討，設計兩個單因子受試者間實驗(第一人稱觀點；第三人稱觀點)以闡明想像觀點如何影響選擇困難， 並證實當消費者使用第三人稱觀點想像時將會引發抽象思考、較高的解釋水平，進而使其感知到較低的選擇困難；反之，第一人稱的想像觀點會降低解釋水平，導致較高的選擇困難。本研究亦探討個體差異的影響，研究結果證實認知需求對於想像觀點影響解釋水平的效果存在調節作用。此外，因應COVID-19帶來的衝擊與改變，本研究自實體購物情境延伸至線上服務的選擇情境，以更加了解後疫情時代的消費行為，並填補過往的對於線上購物行為的研究缺口。

This research designed two experiments to investigate the mechanism of how imagery perspective influences decision difficulty, which decreases consumers’ satisfaction and commitment to their choice. Two single factor designed experiments (actor perspective versus observer perspective) suggested that imagining from the actor perspective lowers one’s construal level, and thus is perceived as enhancing decision difficulty. In comparison, those taking the observer perspective represent things at higher construal levels and have less decision difficulty. Moreover, the experimental results suggested the need for cognition to moderate the relationship between imagery perspective and construal level. The findings herein extended the physical buying situation to online consumption, providing implications for marketers to further explore consumer behavior under the impact of COVID-19.