How Attribute Quantity Influences Option Choice

Abstract

Products can be described by different numbers of attributes. But can the mere number of attributes presented across a choice-set influence what type of option people choose? This paper demonstrates that attribute numerosity tends to benefit certain types of options more than others and, consequently, has systematic effects on choice. Because attributes often serve as a heuristic cue for product usefulness, they benefit options that are perceived as relatively inferior on this dimension (e.g., hedonics). Consistent with this perspective, five studies demonstrate that attribute numerosity benefits hedonic more than utilitarian options by increasing the extent to which the former are perceived as useful. Consequently, increasing attribute quantity equally across the choice-set shifts choice toward hedonic options, regardless of whether the attributes are hedonic, utilitarian, or mixed in nature. Consistent with this conceptualization, these effects are amplified under heuristic processing and when usefulness is made salient through priming. The findings have important implications for how marketers present attribute information, for public policy and consumer welfare, and for understanding argument numerosity effects in persuasion more broadly.