Numerical Anchoring Effects of Reference Prices: The Main Influence of Anchor Plausibility and the Moderating Effects of Price Knowledge and Brand Type

Abstract

本研究將數字定錨效果的倒U型態（Wegener, Petty, Detweiler- Bedell & Jarvis, 2000）應用到產品參考售價的議題上。產品的參考售價扮演錨的角色，消費者對於此項產品價格的判斷會受到這個錨影響，隨著參考售價的昂貴度越極端，消費者對於產品價格的判斷會呈現一個倒U的分配。由於人們對於anchor plausibility的認知影響到定錨效果(Wegener, Petty, Detweiler- Bedell & Jarvis, 2000)，因此消費者對於參考售價plausibility的認知主導了參考售價所產生的倒U定錨效果。當參考售價落在消費者認知的plausible price range內，越極端的價格可以有越大的定錨效果；但當參考售價落在plausible price range外，提高價格的極端性會降低定錨效果。 除此之外，本研究提出了兩個中介變數：（1）消費者對產品的價格知識：高價格知識或低價格知識、（2）品牌型態：新品牌或既有品牌。這兩個中介變數會影響消費者對於參考售價plausibility的認知，進而影響到定錨效果的型態。針對一個產品，價格知識高的人所認知的plausible price range比價格知識低的人小，因此，高知識人的定錨效果會在比較不極端的價格就開始下降，低知識人的定錨效果會在一個更極端的價格才開始下降。對於一個既有品牌的商品，當參考售價落在plausible price range內，越極端的價格有越大的定錨效果，但當參考售價落在plausible price range外，增加價格的極端性不會使定錨效果下降，而因為有品牌形象與價格定位的支撐，定錨效果會維持在最大的效果上。對於一個新品牌的商品，當參考售價落在plausible price range內，越極端的價格有越大的定錨效果，當參考售價落在plausible price range外，由於沒有品牌形象與價格定位的支撐，增加價格的極端性會使定錨效果下降。

The present research applies the inverted-U pattern of numerical anchoring effects (Wegener, Petty, Detweiler- Bedell & Jarvis, 2000) to reference prices. That is, reference prices of products play the role of anchors, and consumers’ perceived prices of target products are influenced by the anchors and show an inverted-U pattern with the increases of the extremity of reference prices. Because the perceptions of anchor plausibility moderate the effects of anchors on target judgments (Wegener, Petty, Detweiler- Bedell & Jarvis, 2000), the factor to dominate the inverted-U anchoring effects of reference prices is consumers’ perceived plausibility of reference prices. Within consumers’ plausible price ranges, more extreme reference prices have larger anchoring effects. Once the reference prices are out of the plausible ranges and going to be extremely high, increases in anchor extremity will reduce the anchoring effects. Besides, we also propose two moderating variables which influence the perceived plausibility of reference prices and, thus, affect the pattern of anchoring effects: (1) Consumers’ price knowledge, (2) Brand type: new or existing brand. The plausible price ranges of high knowledge people are smaller than those of low knowledge people. Thus, with the increasing extremity of reference price, the anchoring effects of reference prices for high knowledge people decrease earlier than the anchoring effects for low knowledge people. For an existing-brand product, when reference prices are within the plausible price range, increasing extremity of reference prices increases the anchoring effects. However, when reference prices are extremely high and out of the plausible price range, because of the existing of the brand image and a specific price range, the anchoring effects will keep at the highest anchoring effect. For a new-brand product, when reference prices are out of the plausible price range, without the support of brand image and specific price range, increasing extremity of reference prices reduces the anchoring effects. The anchoring effects will display an inverted-U pattern with the increasing extremity of reference prices.