In this article, we examine the different ways in which consumers balance their consumption behavior in order to maximize utility. In particular, we focus on how people balance repeating the same options with the decision to seek variety. While earlier research represented variety seeking as a means of reducing physical satiation (McAlister, 1982), more recent research suggests that the relationship between choosing variety and minimizing satiation is more complex, as these behaviors may be motivated and influenced by exogenous factors. Past reviews have largely looked at the two processes separately. In this article, we discuss the nuanced relationship between these two constructs and point to future research directions that may help us further understand how consumers tackle the everyday challenge of maximizing enjoyment over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Tong (Joy) Lu
- Class of 2018
Contact Information
- Primary Email:
tonglu@wharton.upenn.edu - Mobile Phone:
(925) 216-6850 - Office Phone:
(215) 898-9894 - Office Fax Phone:
(215) 898-2534
- office Address:
727.9 Jon M. Hunstman Hall
3730 Walnut Street
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Research Interests: Mathematical models of consumer behavior, media consumption, bounded rationality, information processing, product search
Links: CV
Activity
Latest Research
Julio Sevilla, Tong Lu, Barbara E. Kahn (2019), Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 29 (), pp. 89-103.
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