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Country of Origin as aStereotype: Eects of ConsumerExpertise and Attribute Strength

onProduct Evaluations

Duraira !ahes"aran #$%%&' (ournal of Consumer )esearch

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Obective

 *o reconcile the mixed +ndings inCountry of Origin research byexploring:

• ,-E. #!oderation'

• ,-/ #!ediation'

the Country of Origin 0nformationin1uences evaluation

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Contribution

$' Consumers2 level of expertise and the strength of attribute information determine the extent to"hich country of origin in1uences product evaluation

• .ovices used country3of3origin information in their evaluations regardless of "hether theattributes "ere ambiguous or unambiguous

• Experts used country of origin only "hen the attribute information "as ambiguous

4' Experts and novices diered in their processing of stereotypical information5

• Experts used country3of3origin stereotypes to selectively process and recall attributeinformation #asymmetric processing tendency'

• ,hereas6 novices used them as a frame of reference to dierentially interpret attributeinformation5

7' *he dierential impact of negative information on the processing of experts and novices

• .egative information has a larger impact on novices2 than on experts2 evaluation

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Systematic and -euristic Processing

 *his research examines theinteresting possibility that country-of-origin-based stereotypes  canbe functional6 and it identi+es

the conditions under which thesestereotypes inuence  consumers2

product evaluation

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Study $

• Method 3 4 #expertise' 8 4 #country of origin' 8 4 #attribute strength'bet"een3 subects design

• 09 Expertise, Country of Origin, Strength of Attributes

• D9 Product Evauation and Attribute reated !eca

"ypotheses#

• -$a: Experts "ill evaluate the product more positively "hen attribute informationis strong #vs5 "ea;'5 Country of origin "ill not aect experts2 evaluation

• -$b: .ovices "ill evaluate the product more positively "hen country of origin isfavorable #vs5 unfavorable'5 Attribute strength "ill not aect their evaluation

• -4a: Experts "ill recall more strong #vs5 "ea;' attributes "hen attributeinformation is strong #vs5 "ea;'5 Country of origin "ill not in1uence experts2 recall

• -4b: .ovices "ill recall more country3of3origin3 consistent information5 *hey "illrecall more strong #vs5 "ea;' attributes "hen country of origin is favorable #vs5

unfavorable'5 Attribute strength "ill not in1uence novices2 recall

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<nresolved issues

• Country of origin guided novices2 evaluationsbut not their recall= ,hy>>>

0t is li;ely that novices do not distinguish bet"eenconsistent and inconsistent information and hencerecall all the information

0f cognitive responses "ould sho" "hether subectsreally thought about and elaborated on country3of3

origin or attribute information6 this can becon+rmed

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Study 4• Method 3 4 #expertise' 8 4 #country of origin' 8 4 #attribute strength' bet"een3

subects design• 09 Expertise, Country of Origin, Strength of Attributes

• D9 Product Evauation, $ota $hought, Country-of-Origin-!eated $houghts,Attribute-!eated-$hought, %aenced Country-of-Origin-!eated $houghts, %aencedAttribute-!eated-$hought

"ypotheses#

• -7a: Experts "ill process attribute information in detail and generate more attribute3related thoughts5 !ore favorable attribute3related thoughts "ill be generated "hen theproduct description features strong #vs5 "ea;' attributes

• -7b: .ovices "ill process Country of Origin information in detail and generate moreCountry of Origin related thoughts5 !ore favorable Country of Origin related thoughts"ill be generated "hen Country of Origin is favorable #vs <nfavorable'

• -&a: ?or experts6 the favorableness of the attribute3related thoughts "ill mediate productevaluations

• -&b: ?or novices6 the favorableness of country3 of3origin3related thoughts "ill mediateproduct evaluations

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!ediation

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<nresolved issues

$5 Conditions under "hich experts "ill usecountry of origin in their evaluation#Ambiguous vs <nambiguous'

45 0f country of origin does not induceselective processing for novices6 "hat othermechanism is li;ely to account for the+ndings>

75 ,hether country of origin induces selectiveprocessing for experts and in1uences theinterpretation of the attributes for novices >

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Study 7 #Ambiguous'• !ethod 3 4 #expertise' 8 4 #country of origin'• 09 Expertise, Country of Origin

• D9 Product Evauation and Attribute !eca, Perception offavorabeness of each Attribute

"ypotheses#

• -@: oth experts and novices "ill evaluate the product more positively "hen the country3of3 origin

information is favorable #vs5 unfavorable'

• -Ba:,hen attribute information is ambiguous6 experts "ill recall more strong attributes "hencountry of origin is favorable #vs5 unfavorable'

• -Bb: ,hen attribute information is ambiguous6 novices "ill not sho" systematic variation in theirrecall of dierent types of attribute

• -a:.ovices "ill rate the strong and neutral attributes more positively "hen the country3 of3origin

information is favorable #vs5 unfavorable'

• -b:.ovices "ill rate the "ea; attributes more negatively "hen the country3of3origin information

is unfavorable #vs5 favorable'

• -c: Experts2 rating of attribute strength "ill not be in1uenced by country3of3origin favorableness

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