The slippery slope: The impact of feature alignability on search and satisfaction
Open accessAbstract
This research challenges the notion that increased search effort results in greater satisfaction with the choice by examining the impact of alignability on search quantity and search outcomes. Options that vary along comparable dimensions are alignable, whereas options that vary along unique dimensions are nonalignable. The results of three studies demonstrate greater search among nonalignable than among alignable options. Satisfaction initially increases but then declines with further search among nonalignable options. Although choice difficulty influences search and satisfaction, the primary mechanism driving the inverted U-shaped relationship of satisfaction with search among nonalignable options is feature learning. This research demonstrates a paradox: People continue searching more options precisely when their further search is detrimental to their satisfaction, falling down the slippery slope of search.
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Satisfaction increases in the initial search stage but decreases when options cannot be aligned.
“Griffin and Broniarczyk (2010) found that satisfaction increases in the initial search stage buy decreases when options cannot be aligned.”
From Mobile shopping cart abandonment: The roles of conflicts, ambivalence, and hesitation (2018) · cites this paper as Griffin and Broniarczyk (2010)
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References 54 · Cited by 37
- Authors
- Griffin, J. G., & Broniarczyk, S. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Evansville (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Corresponding author
- Griffin, Jill G.
- Broniarczyk, Susan M.
- Venue
- Journal of Marketing Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2010-04
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 323-334
- ISSN
- 0022-2437 (ISSN-L)
- 1547-7193
- OpenAlex
- W2031229146
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- papers.ssrn.com
- Locations
- Journal of Marketing Research (publishedVersion)
- SSRN Electronic Journal (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior and Marketing Influence
- Keywords
- search effort, customer satisfaction, decision difficulty, representation learning, inverted U-shaped relationship, decision-making
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