Justification Mindset: How Hedonic versus Utilitarian Purchase Influences Subsequent Choice

Consumers make both hedonic and utilitarian choices. Generally, hedonic choices are guided by pleasure-seeking goals and are more pleasurable than utilitarian ones, which are often guided by functional needs (Alba and Williams 2013). Most literature in the hedonic-utilitarian paradigm has focused on the decision processes by which consumers choose between such products (Dahl et al. 2003; Dhar and Wertenbroch 2000; Kivetz and Simonson 2002; Okada 2005; Strahilevitz and Myers 1998). However, whether choosing a hedonic or utilitarian item guides consumers’ subsequent preferences differently has remained under-studied (Mukhopadhyay and Johar 2009; Dholakia et al. 2005). The question is important as growing research has documented sequential influences in decision-making (Novemsky and Dhar 2005; Dhar et al. 2007; Dhar and Simonson 1999). In the current research, we examine how choosing a hedonic versus a utilitarian option affects subsequent choices by changing the reasoning process applied to the subsequent decisions.