The Interaction of Product Attractiveness and Decision-Making Style on Consumer Purchase Intention: A Cultural Moderation Perspective

Abstract

Abstract This article examines how product attractiveness in interaction with decision-making style influences purchase intentions. Participants in four different conditions rated their likelihood of buying an experiential product, showing that when using an emotional decision-making style condition, they have higher purchase intentions for the high attractive product than the low attractive product. A reverse effect was found when using a reasoned decision-making style. Moreover, these differences disappeared when included a cultural element, suggesting that collective mental group programming shapes learned ways to act in consumer fields at a higher level, including the decisional way to respond and approach perceived product characteristics. The inclusion of cultural factors with an adequate way to conceive the construct is discussed.