Moderator variables in consumer research: A call for caution

Abstract

Consumer-related studies comprise to an increasing extent moderator variables, presumably because researchers have become convinced by scholars who over the years have argued that moderators can produce a more complete understanding of theoretical phenomena and can provide practitioners with higher levels of precision. However, many studies with moderators are characterized by imperfections. To improve the state of the art, this study presents a selection of such imperfections and offers recommendations for researchers who consider including moderator variables in their projects.