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Sophisticated by Design: the Nonconscious Influence of Primed Concepts and Atmospheric Variables on Consumer Preferences

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Abstract

Four studies sought to bridge the gap between the consumer literature on atmospheric effects on shopping and research on prime-to-behavior effects. Studies 1–3 found that nonconsciously priming sophistication influenced consumer preferences, lending credence to the hypothesis that the accessibility of concepts related to sophistication is sufficient to produce the effects of some atmospheric variables. Unobtrusively priming sophistication led participants to prefer an upscale candy bar rather than a plain candy bar (study 1), to select a high-brow movie rather than a low-brow movie as a raffle prize (study 2), and to order more expensive items at a real-life restaurant (study 3). The effects of sophistication primes were strongest among individuals who had positive automatic associations with sophistication (study 2). Study 4 directly linked primed concepts to an atmospheric variable, demonstrating that music played over headphones influenced both the automatic accessibility of words related to sophistication and corresponding consumer preferences.

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Notes

  1. Because the even point scale used in Study 1 forced participants to choose between either the sophisticated candy bar (Valrhona) or the common bar (Aero), in a separate data collection we used a 1–7 scale of preference so a no-preference option could be provided (1 = Strongly prefer Aero, 4 = Prefer neither Aero nor Valrhona, 7 = Strongly prefer Valrhona). Participants in the sophistication condition were more likely to prefer purchasing the Valrhona chocolate bar than were participants in the control condition (Ms = 4.02 and 3.31, respectively), t(87) = 2.39, p = .02. To evaluate the effect of the sophistication prime on raw choice, responses were re-coded to either represent a preference for purchasing the Aero bar, the Valrhona bar, or preference for neither. In the sophistication condition, the portion of Valrhona preference and no-preference reports were increased relative to the control condition (33.3 vs. 23.4 % and 31.7 vs. 29.8 % respectively). However, preference for the Aero bar attenuated in the sophistication condition relative to the control condition (46.8 vs. 35.0 %, respectively).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clemson University, 269 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA

    T. Andrew Poehlman

  2. George Rogers Clark Professor of Management and Marketing, Yale School of Management, 165 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    Ravi Dhar

  3. James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    John A. Bargh

Authors
  1. T. Andrew Poehlman
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  2. Ravi Dhar
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  3. John A. Bargh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Andrew Poehlman.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOCX 146 kb)

Appendices

Appendix 1

Sophistication sentences for study 1 (Words keying the concept of sophistication are italicized)

  1. 1.

    Sophisticated are toast girls ladies

  2. 2.

    Music wrote vacationed timeless Beethoven

  3. 3.

    are very cats university lovable

  4. 4.

    Tie required restaurant tonight black

  5. 5.

    Overwhelming always ribbons is homework

  6. 6.

    Evocative with electorate poetry books

  7. 7.

    The gracefully dance antiques Waltz

  8. 8.

    Ate house the deteriorating is

  9. 9.

    Gardens with monitor orchids filled

  10. 10.

    The blue economics is curtain

  11. 11.

    Opera the spirit voluptuous elevates

  12. 12.

    Delightfully the champagne lots bubbled

Control Sentences for Study 1

  1. 1.

    World the welcomes is complex

  2. 2.

    Walk please olives dog the

  3. 3.

    Market appreciation the is nearby

  4. 4.

    Drink topography water gallons of

  5. 5.

    The was composition dark forest

  6. 6.

    Are very cats university lovable

  7. 7.

    The brown mother chair is

  8. 8.

    Flower nobody that anymore does

  9. 9.

    Overwhelming always ribbons is homework

  10. 10.

    Build bricks it although with

  11. 11.

    Ate house the deteriorating is

  12. 12.

    The blue economics is curtain

Appendix 2

figure a
figure b

Appendix C

Please answer these questions about yourself

How much do you like chocolate?

 

Not at all

     

I love it

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Paying the lowest price possible for products is very important to me

 

Strongly disagree

     

Strongly agree

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

When purchasing, buying a product of outstanding quality is the most important factor in my decision

 

Strongly disagree

     

Strongly agree

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Convenience is the most important factor in deciding where to shop

 

Strongly disagree

     

Strongly agree

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

How sophisticated a person would you say you are?

 

Not at all sophisticated

     

Very sophisticated

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

How frequently do you buy chocolate?

 

Never

     

Very frequently

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

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Poehlman, T.A., Dhar, R. & Bargh, J.A. Sophisticated by Design: the Nonconscious Influence of Primed Concepts and Atmospheric Variables on Consumer Preferences. Cust. Need. and Solut. 3, 48–61 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40547-015-0051-2

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