Malleable Estimation: The Effect of Language Directionality on Spatial Sets

Neoclassical economic theory considers man to be a utility maximizer who will choose the same alternative under any circumstance given it provides to him the maximum utility (Luce 1959). However, research has documented many instances when consumers’ preferences are predictably biased by the composition of the set under consideration (e.g., Huber, Payne, and Puto 1982). It is worth noting that much of this existing behavioral research shows that when the set composition is changed in some manner (e.g., attributes, brand information, additional options), choice is influenced. We propose, however, that even when the factors in the alternative set are kept constant, choice can still be influenced. Specifically, when we keep the set of alternatives exactly the same but merely change their spatial order, choice of alternatives can change. Consider an ice cream parlor that offers five ice cream cones displayed on the shop counter in increasing order of size from left to right (smallest to largest). Would consumers’ preferences change if the cones were arranged in the opposite order—increasing in size from the right to the left? Would consumers’ estimates of the amount of calories differ? Why would seeing the same set of alternatives left to right (LTR) versus right to left (RTL) affect choice? We borrow from literature in cognitive psychology that demonstrates the influence of language-scanning habits (based on the direction of script flow of the dominant language) on different outcomes (e.g., Chae and Hoegg forthcoming; Maass and Russo 2003).