The Effect of Prior Commitment on Consumer Choice

Abstract

Commitment to consistency (CC) theories have been widely studied in the field of social influence. However, studies on CC effect have examined only the decisions consumers make for themselves and have neglected the decisions made for others. Prior studies have indicated that the difference between decisions made for oneself and others can be explained by the psychological distance from construal level theory (CLT). Other studies have demonstrated the moderating effect of psychological distance (in the temporal dimension) on CC. The present study analyzed the effect of CC on consumers’ decisions made for themselves and for others and assessed whether the social dimension of psychological distance moderates CC. For this purpose, a study with a 2 (prior commitment: yes vs. no) × 2 (type of decision: for himself/herself vs. for others) experimental design evaluated 180 participants (between-subjects) living in the United States. The members of the experimental group were manipulated toward a commitment to healthy food products, and the participants’ choices for healthy versus unhealthy food products were analyzed. The results indicated that CC effect occurred not only on choices made for oneself but also when choices were made for others. However, the results did not confirm that the social dimension of psychological distance moderated CC. The results and implications of the use of CC as a strategy to influence consumers’ choice to eat healthy foods are discussed.