Abstract
Numbers and prices can be processed and encoded in three different forms: 1) visual [based on their written form in Arabic numerals (e.g., 72)], 2) verbal [based on spoken word-sounds (e.g., "seventy" and "two"), and 3) analog (based on judgments of relative "size" or amount (e.g., more than 70 but less than 80)]. In this paper, we demonstrate that including commas (e.g., $1599 vs. $1599) and cents (e.g., $1599.85 vs. $1599) in a price's Arabic written form (i.e., how it is perceived . visually) can change how the price is encoded and represented verbally in a consumer's memory. In turn, the verbal encoding of a written price can influence assessments of the numerical magnitude of the price. These effects occur because consumers non-consciously perceive that there is a positive relationship between syllabic length and numerical magnitude. Three experiments are presented demonstrating this important effect.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 395-407 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Consumer Psychology |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Auditory (verbal) representation
- Behavioral pricing
- Numerical cognition
- Price magnitude
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Marketing
Cite this
Comma N' cents in pricing : The effects of auditory representation encoding on price magnitude perceptions. / Coulter, Keith S.; Choi, Pilsik; Monroe, Kent B.
In: Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 3, 01.07.2012, p. 395-407.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Comma N' cents in pricing
T2 - The effects of auditory representation encoding on price magnitude perceptions
AU - Coulter, Keith S.
AU - Choi, Pilsik
AU - Monroe, Kent B.
PY - 2012/7/1
Y1 - 2012/7/1
N2 - Numbers and prices can be processed and encoded in three different forms: 1) visual [based on their written form in Arabic numerals (e.g., 72)], 2) verbal [based on spoken word-sounds (e.g., "seventy" and "two"), and 3) analog (based on judgments of relative "size" or amount (e.g., more than 70 but less than 80)]. In this paper, we demonstrate that including commas (e.g., $1599 vs. $1599) and cents (e.g., $1599.85 vs. $1599) in a price's Arabic written form (i.e., how it is perceived . visually) can change how the price is encoded and represented verbally in a consumer's memory. In turn, the verbal encoding of a written price can influence assessments of the numerical magnitude of the price. These effects occur because consumers non-consciously perceive that there is a positive relationship between syllabic length and numerical magnitude. Three experiments are presented demonstrating this important effect.
AB - Numbers and prices can be processed and encoded in three different forms: 1) visual [based on their written form in Arabic numerals (e.g., 72)], 2) verbal [based on spoken word-sounds (e.g., "seventy" and "two"), and 3) analog (based on judgments of relative "size" or amount (e.g., more than 70 but less than 80)]. In this paper, we demonstrate that including commas (e.g., $1599 vs. $1599) and cents (e.g., $1599.85 vs. $1599) in a price's Arabic written form (i.e., how it is perceived . visually) can change how the price is encoded and represented verbally in a consumer's memory. In turn, the verbal encoding of a written price can influence assessments of the numerical magnitude of the price. These effects occur because consumers non-consciously perceive that there is a positive relationship between syllabic length and numerical magnitude. Three experiments are presented demonstrating this important effect.
KW - Auditory (verbal) representation
KW - Behavioral pricing
KW - Numerical cognition
KW - Price magnitude
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jcps.2011.11.005
DO - 10.1016/j.jcps.2011.11.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84863091757
VL - 22
SP - 395
EP - 407
JO - Journal of Consumer Psychology
JF - Journal of Consumer Psychology
SN - 1057-7408
IS - 3
ER -