Thomas D. Jensen

The actions of others as determinants of behavior in social trap situations

Abstract Three studies were conducted to determine the effects of observing the behaviors of others upon an individuals actions in a simulated social trap situation. In Experiment 1, it was found that merely having the opportunity to make comparative appraisals of the actions of others led to greater competition for a finite common resource than when subjects were physically isolated from one another. In Experiment 2, false feedback was given to subjects to determine if the actions of others alone were responsible for the deleterious effects of having the opportunity for comparative appraisal; it was found that subjects quickly conformed to the behavior pattern of the interacting others, regardless of whether the false feedback indicated that the other subjects were consuming more or less than no-treatment control subjects. Experiment 3 was conducted to determine the motivation of subjects reacting to the actions of others; differential predictions based upon a competition/relative outcome explanation and upon an information search explanation were made. The data were consistent with the information search explanation.

Client-Sponsored Projects: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice

Client-sponsored projects are suggested as a vehicle for helping students in marketing courses integrate theoretical and applied perspectives. Client-sponsored projects are described and suggestions for the implementation and management of client-sponsored projects are offered. Potential benefits as well as problems associated with these projects are elucidated.

The Accuracy of Brand and Attribute Judgments: The Role of Information Relevancy, Product Experience, and Attribute-Relationship Schemata

A multidimensional approach for accuracy of ratings is introduced that examines consumers’ abilities to assess various brands across a set of attributes and attribute performances across a set of brands. A model is presented that addresses the roles of the relevancy of information, attribute-relationship schemata, and consumers’ product category experience on the accuracy of their brand attribute ratings. Study participants were provided either with relevant or irrelevant attribute information for various automobile brands and later asked to rate the attribute performances of brands. The results indicate that the provision of relevant information in the judgment environment increases brand and attribute rating accuracy but does not favorably affect consumers’ brand attribute-relationship schemata. Rather, consumers’ product experience was directly related to their attribute-relationship schemata, which in turn were related to improved accuracy of brand and attribute ratings.

Persistence of the spacing effect in incidental free recall: The effect of external list comparisons and intertask correlations

The attenuation-of-attention explanation of the spacing effect was tested, using an incidental learning paradigm. The incidental task was one in which subjects rated each item on either one or two scales. When two scales were used, all repeated items (massed and distributed) were rated on both scales. In Experiment 1, each point on the rating scale was labeled with an exemplar, and subjects were asked to compare each list item with the given exemplars. In Experiment 2, the correlation between the two scales was systematically varied. Neither manipulation reduced the magnitude of the spacing effect.

Co-Branding: The Effects of E-Tailer and Delivery Carrier Familiarity on Price and E-Tailer Perceptions

If high customer satisfaction is attributed for the growth of e-tail sales, trust, or the lack thereof, is one of the most-cited deterrents. While much research has been conducted examining the effect of identity theft, online privacy, and perceived security on consumer trust, order fulfillment and other components of business reliability outside of the security context have received relatively little attention. The present study examines the effect of order fulfillment information cues, via carrier disclosure, on consumer perceptions of e-tailer credibility, price, and product attitude. Results of a between-subjects experiment show that the familiarity of the e-tailer and carrier can positively influence perceptions of e-tailer credibility.

Endowed Chairs in Marketing: Responsibilities and Benefits

A survey of AACSB accredited and non-accredited schools identified the benefits and responsibilities of the endowed chairholders. Overall only the benefits showed some hierarchical structure (e.g., provided to chairholders in a hierarchical fashion). With few exceptions, institutional characteristics and size of the endowments were unrelated to the chairs* responsibilities and benefits.

Endowed Chairs in Marketing: Status and Assessment

This research looks at the status of endowed chairs in marketing. A survey of both accredited and nonaccredited AACSB schools was conducted to assess the numbers of such chairs and to determine the characteristics of institutions with them. Approximately one-sixth of the schools responding to the survey had endowed chairs in marketing. No relationship was found between the presence or absence of chairs and whether the institution was public or private. However, chairs were more likely to be found in accredited institutions and those granting doctorates. Institution size and other business school endowments were also linked to marketing faculties with endowed chairs.

13.5 Developments in Marketing Research : New Directions in Marketing Research

The present study examines trends in the number of authors, articles, pages, and various combinations (e.g., pages per article) in JAMS, JCR, JM, and JMR over the last twenty years. In addition to some overall trends, the results revealed differences in trends between the journals. The study and results are discussed from a social exchange perspective.

Customer Adaptations and Retailing: a Replication Study

The present study attempted to replicate Jensen and Rao’s (1988) study dealing with the purchase, preparation, and consumption of food items. Using data collected 10 years after their data, the present study partially confirmed their study in finding stable activity-related attitudes, behaviors, attitude-behavior relationships, and market segments. Also, the study demonstrated construct validity of the measurement instrument used by Jensen and Rao (1988). The findings have implications for both food marketers and retail/ consumer behavior researchers.

Endowed Chairs: Future Funding Priorities

Previous research by the authors looked at the current status of endowed marketing chairs and the benefits and responsibilities of the chairholders. This paper examines collegiate business schools’ future funding priorities for endowed marketing chairs. Thirty-five percent of the respondents sought to develop new marketing chairs with an average planned endowment of