Category-based processing and evaluation of hybrid innovations in categorization ambiguity

Abstract

When categorization ambiguity exists, category inferences about hybrid innovations can be induced across a single or multiple categories by taking not only a “stimulus-driven” category activation (g., utilizing some salient cues) but also a “goal-driven” category activation (e.g., goal activation). In the situation where consumers are exposed to the ad for a hybrid innovation while either being committed or not being committed to the goal related to the product category constituting the hybrid innovation, thus, this research focuses on key factors contributing to category inferences and subsequent evaluations of multifinal hybrid innovations: the nature of the category cue (perceptual vs. conceptual), category familiarity, and goal commitment. That is, this research examines how the inferences and subsequent evaluations of multifinal hybrid products change depending on the relative weights that consumers give to the nature of the category cue and whether these weights vary according to category familiarity and goal commitment relevant to each constituent product category.

In the situation where consumers are exposed to the print ad for a hybrid innovation while either being committed or not being committed to the goal related to the product category constituting the hybrid innovation, three experimental studies were conducted to examine how the presence or absence of consumers’ salient goals influence category inferences and subsequent evaluations of multifinal hybrid products as a function of stimulus-driven category activation through the nature of the category cue and category familiarity as a moderator. In addition, we identified the conditions under which multifinal hybrid products seen to serve multiple goals are evaluated more favorably in the presence or absence of a salient goal. Concerning inferences of hybrid innovations, results from three experiments indicate that when a hybrid product (HF-HF’, HF-LF, LF-LF’) is described in terms of conflict...