Turning the Page: The Impact of Choice Closure on Satisfaction

58 Pages Posted: 2 Sep 2016 Last revised: 19 Oct 2016

See all articles by Yangjie Gu

Yangjie Gu

HEC Paris

Simona Botti

London Business School

David Faro

London Business School

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

After having made a purchase decision, consumers often revisit their choice and ponder forgone alternatives. This tendency can cause regret and lower satisfaction with the selected alternative, especially when choices are difficult. This paper introduces the concept of choice closure, defined as the psychological process by which consumers come to perceive a decision to be final. Choice closure inhibits consumers’ propensity to reconsider the decision process after a choice has been made and to engage in unfavorable comparisons between the chosen and the forgone options. Four studies show that physical acts that are metaphorically associated with the concept of closure — such as covering or turning a page on the rejected alternatives — trigger choice closure for choices made from large sets and result in greater satisfaction. These findings suggest that subtle cues, which do not alter the actual choice context, can improve consumers’ satisfaction with a difficult decision.

Suggested Citation

Gu, Yangjie and Botti, Simona and Faro, David, Turning the Page: The Impact of Choice Closure on Satisfaction (2013). Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2013, HEC Paris Research Paper No. MKG-2016-1173, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2831596

Yangjie Gu (Contact Author)

HEC Paris ( email )

1 Rue De La Libération,
Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, 78351
France

Simona Botti

London Business School ( email )

Sussex Place
London, London NW1 4SA
United Kingdom
442070008646 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.london.edu

David Faro

London Business School ( email )

Sussex Place
Regents
London, London NW1 4SA
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.london.edu

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
180
Abstract Views
1,466
Rank
300,571
PlumX Metrics