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I examine the psychological process of elongation bias (Essay 1) and its application to consumer behavior (Essay 2). Over three studies, Essay 1 tests two alternative explanations for the elongation bias (Studies 1 and 2) and subsequently demonstrates the elongation bias using real product package pictures (Study 3). I find that individuals compare the size of two objects by relying on their perception of differences in the objects' dimensions. However, the ease with which we compare the objects' dimensions influences the just-noticeable-difference threshold (JND), where JND is the extent to which individuals are able to notice subtle changes in said dimensions. Thus, in the typical elongation bias experiment, the change in height crosses a perceptual JND boundary that is noticed, though the corresponding change in width is not. I also identify that elongation bias occurs under a comparative-judgment condition rather than under a single-judgment condition, further supporting the idea of comparison and the role of JNDs in the production of this phenomenon. In Essay 2, across eight studies, I aim to examine whether the concept of more from the elongation bias can be generalized to various consumer-behavior domains. Specifically, I investigate the influence of elongation bias on consumer persuasion, the dilution effect, and the contagion effect. While prior elongation bias research has primarily focused on product size estimates from an elongated shape, I assess whether these perceptions can influence more distal variables. Regarding consumer persuasion, I find in Study 1 that the shape of a message affects attitude strength, particularly under low elaboration conditions. I also show that this effect occurs because the elongated shape affects word estimates that may themselves increase the individuals' belief that they had elaborated upon the messages, i.e., perceived elaboration. In Studies 2 and 3, I attempt to find direct evidence for how perceived elaboration increases attitude strength, however, the findings in Study 1 are not replicated. Also, as there were no supporting results for my investigation of the dilution effect, I decided to pursue the contagion effect. Regarding the contagion effect, I demonstrate in Study 1 that the shape of an object influences the likelihood of contagion. In more specific terms, I find that individuals perceive less contagion in an elongated shape due to the perceived larger area, whereas they perceive more contagion in a less-elongated shape due to the perceived smaller area. I further explore the contagion effect in the marketing-relevant contexts in Studies 2 and 3 and re-examine our findings in Study 4. However, these studies do not replicate the influence of elongation bias on the contagion effect. In this dissertation, I discuss why the elongation bias may not affect decision making in marketing-relevant contexts and suggest future directions for investigating these theories. I conclude that, because elongation bias is an effect that is already small, other perceptual signals that are prevalent in the marketing-relevant domains easily cancel out the effects of the elongation bias. In other words, elongation bias may easily influence a variable whose concept is similar to elongation bias (e.g., product size perception); however, when investigating the effect of elongation bias on more distal variables (e.g., attitude strength, perception of dilution/contagion) the more additional perceptual cues that are present, the more difficult it is to detect its effect. Accordingly, the application of elongation bias in the marketing context may be limited. With this in mind, I suggest identifying a more appropriate measurement and study design to investigate the marketing implications of elongation bias. In sum, our research contributes to consumer perception literature by developing an area-comparison model and by examining how a specific visual bias can subtly influence consumer behaviors.
This dissertation, "Three Essays on Consumer Behavior in Virtual Community: EWOM, Online Trust, and Dynamic Impacts on Brand Selection" by Yiyan, Stella, Li, 李藝燕, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled Three Essays on Consumer Behavior in Virtual Community: eWOM, Online Trust, and Dynamic Impacts on Brand Selection submitted by Stella Yiyan Li for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong in June 2007 As increasing numbers of people log into Virtual Communities (VCs) to meet new friends and solve problems, VCs have become an important social phenomenon that attracts research attention from different disciplines. Existing consumer research focuses on the individual motives behind participation in VCs and how brand-based VCs affect consumers' brand loyalty, but neglects the roles of the other important form of VCs, the product-based VCs. Moreover, the dynamic influences remain open to questions. By incorporating social capital theory and emerging theories relevant to VC research, this thesis aims to advance knowledge about the dynamic influences of product-based VCs on consumer behaviour in terms of eWord-of Mouth (eWOM), trust formation, and brand selection. The first study examines eWOM in VCs. WOM is a highly respected form of marketing information. However, because it is difficult to study WOM in the face-to-face context, researchers have limited understanding of its sources of effectiveness or its effects beyond product and brand communications. By conducting a netnography of beauty product enthusiasts in China in order to understand eWOM, the findings of this iistudy reveal four categories of responses: (1) sources of social capital, (2) brand choice facilitation, (3) persuasion knowledge development, and (4) consumer reflexivity. The thesis also proposes a model and offers a set of postulates to guide future research directions. The second study tests the antecedents and consequences of trust formation in VCs. IS research investigates the domains of interpersonal and system trust using streams of research based on different paradigms. Considering the continuous proliferation of VCs, this thesis proposes an integrative model that combines both trust components. Drawing insights from social capital theory, this study extends the research context to a VC sponsored by a commercial portal. Furthermore, it postulates that (1) structured VC contents and members' cognitive and relational motivations are antecedents to both trust components; (2) interpersonal trust is distinct from, and an important driver of, system trust; and (3) both trust components stimulate member online loyalty which enhances value for the sponsoring portal. Tests of the model's hypotheses using an online survey of 899 VC members support propositions in this study and offer both research and managerial implications. The third study examines the dynamic influences of VCs on brand selection. Various studies prove that brand-based VCs strengthen participants' brand loyalty. What remains unclear is how product-based VCs affect consumers' brand selection and how those impacts evolve over time. Using a longitudinal study of 277 members from the same VC, I demonstrate that individual motives (informational and social) and susceptibility to VC normative influence not only enhance consumers' loyalty toward a favourite brand but also increase variety-seeking intentions and consideration set size in iiibrand selection. Informational motives play dominant roles in enhancing variety-seeking intenti