Understanding Consumer Decision‐Making Processes: The Role of Form and Function In Product Evaluation

In this investigation, we examined the extent to which people use information concerning product form (e.g., appearance) and product function (e.g., reliability) to evaluate the quality of consumer products. One week after receiving both types of information, high self‐monitors responded more favorably to the product with the more attractive appearance, judging it to be of higher quality. By contrast, low self‐monitors assigned higher quality ratings to the less attractive product. Implications of these findings for implicit consumer theories about the relations between product form and product function, as well as implications for consumer decision‐making processes are discussed.