선택은 곧 손실: 비 선택 대안의 손실을 줄이기 위한 연속적 복수 제품 선택의 다양성 추구

Traditional product bundles that are predesigned and packaged by marketers limit consumers to choose more varieties of products. Self-bundling however, allows consumers to choose a variety of multiple products given in a single category or across product categories in order to fulfill a required purchase quantity. Past research on variety seeking in the simultaneous choice context explains that consumers tend to choose more varieties in order to avoid the expected satiety or preference change in the near future. This study focuses on the appeal of the forgone to explain motivations of variety seeking and argues that more varieties are pursued as a loss-averse decision strategy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the amount of unchosen or remaining options on choice variety and explain underlying motivations of choice variety from the loss aversion perspective. The first study examined if increasing the number of unchosen options leads consumers to choose more varieties in the simultaneous multiple choice condition. Consumers are likely to make following choices among remaining options rather than repeat prior choices, in order to reduce feelings of loss. To test this prediction, one factor (a number of remaining options: 6 vs. 3 vs. 0) between subjects design was employed. A total of 107 participants were asked to choose three, six, or nine donuts among nine popular varieties of donuts and received discounts. Results revealed that greater diversification bias occurred when the number of remaining options increased. When consumers choose three donuts than six or nine donuts from nine varieties of donuts, they tended to make a series of choices more from unchosen options and in turn, choose more varieties. As an assortment size exceeded the number of products to be chosen, people perceived greater loss from the amount of unchosen options and thus, made following choices focusing on remaining options, which altered the prior choices. Choice variety induced from loss aversion of unchosen options was confirmed. When consumers can select more quantity, they may perceive less loss from forgone options. The second study tested if a goal quantity moderates the effect of the number of remaining options on choice variety. A 2 (purchase goal quantity: small 3 vs. large 6) X 2 (the number of remaining options: 0 vs. two times greater than the goal quantity) between subjects design was employed. A total of 122 participants were asked to select three or six macarons from the given variety of a macaron choice set. Results revealed that individuals tended to seek more varieties, when they selected three macarons from the macaron choice set of six varieties than from that of three varieties. However, no significant difference of the number of remaining options in choice variety was found, when they chose six macarons. As individuals chose more products, they were less likely to be sensitive to the amount loss from unchosen options and tended to repeat prior choices to maximize chosen options. Perceived amount of loss from unchosen options in the multiple choice context can be influenced not only by the number of unchosen options but also by the quality of unchosen options. To test if variety seeking is motivated to reduce the amount loss from unchosen options, a 2 (goal quantity: 4 vs. 6) X 3 (preference dominance in the remaining options: more dominant, balanced, less dominant) between subject design was employed. A total of 204 undergraduate students were asked to make a series of snack choices in the given choice set. Results revealed that when consumers made four choices, they tended to choose more varieties from dominant remaining options than balanced or less dominant remaining options. The effect of preference dominance of remaining options on choice variety was strengthened when consumers made six choices. As the amount of more preferred snacks increased in the choice set, consumers were more likely to choose from unchosen options. Our results show that consumers tend to choose more varieties when a size of remaining options increases. Greater attractiveness of remaining options also leads consumers to choose more options from remaining options. Results of this study are applicable to the effective stock management by promoting choice variety and reducing the amount of less popular unsold items through managing and controlling the choice set size as well as dominance structure relative to the purchase goal quantity.