The Effect of Inclusion versus Exclusion on Consideration Set Size

Abstract

A great deal of research has explored individuals’ attempts to simplify choices by constructing a consideration set. This research aims to investigate which construction strategy, either inclusion or exclusion, is more likely to be adopted and how the adoption of a particular construction strategy can affect consideration set size while identifying the moderating role of chronic indecisiveness in the construction process. The findings of Study 1 indicate that individuals are more likely to adopt an inclusion strategy to reduce a consideration set to a more manageable size, and that an exclusion strategy results in a larger consideration set. In Study 2, the findings reveal that high-indecisiveness individuals are less likely than low-indecisiveness individuals to select an inclusion strategy, but that high-indecisiveness individuals adopting an inclusion strategy are able to reduce the number of alternatives in a consideration set to a manageable size on par with the size of a consideration set formed by low-indecisiveness individuals without elevating the level of perceived difficulty. The current research contributes to the stream of research on consideration set construction and indecisiveness, and offers useful practical implications for overcoming indecisiveness. Limitations and avenues for further research are also discussed.

Keywords

• indecisiveness
• inclusion
• exclusion
• consideration set
• construction strategy