不同自我解釋情境下人們受參考團體影響及其後悔程度差異之探討

Abstract

本研究的目的是要探討不同自我解釋情境下的人的消費決策如何受到參考團體所影響，並透過參與者在決策過程中考量的因素及對於產品資訊的回憶來檢驗自我解釋情境與參考團體對人的認知的影響。168位大學生與研究生被隨機分派到2 (獨立或互依自我解釋情境) × 2 (熱後悔或冷後悔情境)的實驗情境中，閱讀3篇不同參考團體訊息(控制組、正向參考團體訊息或負向參考團體訊息)的產品資訊，接下來評量自己在錯失購買良機(冷後悔)或買貴產品(熱後悔)時的後悔程度與購買可能性，以及說明購買決策中所考量的因素和回憶產品相關資訊。研究結果發現，互依情境的參與者會受到產品資訊中負向參考團體訊息的影響而導致他們在錯失購買良機的情況下不感到後悔；相對地，獨立情境的參與者之後悔程度並不受負向參考團體訊息所影響。由回憶的內容分析則發現，產品說明中含參考團體訊息會降低消費者對參考團體訊息以外之產品相關訊息的登錄數量，對獨立情境的消費者而言，雖然他們比互依情境的消費者登錄較多的產品資訊，但差異並不顯著。若由參與者考量的購買因素來看，參考團體訊息會提高互依情境的參與者在購買決策的考量上重視情境因素，也會影響獨立情境的參與者，使他們在考慮購買決策時忽略價格因素。

The purposes of this study were to investigate how self-construal and reference group information affect purchase decisions. One hundred and sixty-eight participants were randomly assigned to the 2 (independent or interdependent self-construal) × 2 (hot or cold regret) experimental conditions to make purchase decisions about 3 items. Reference group information (positive or negative reference group, or control group) was assigned randomly to the description of each product. Participants were asked to evaluate their degree of regret and probability of purchase in the hot or cold regret situation. Then, they were asked to list thir purchase factors and free recall of the text. Results showed that information regarding negative reference group would affect only people under interdependent self-construal condition and lowered both their regret and probability of purchase in case when they lost the chance to buy the product at lower price. Reference group information did not affect people who were under independent self-construal condition. Analysis of recall protocols revealed that reference group information would lower the recall of product information other than reference group. In addition, reference group information would enhence the importance of situational factors in purchase decision for people in interdependent self-construal condition, whereas it undermined the price factor for people in independent self-construal condition.