Luk Warlop
KU Leuven, Research Group Marketing, Faculty Member
What is self-awareness and why is it important? Self-awareness is critical for buyers and sellers because self-focused attention makes people more conscious of their attitudes and beliefs (Duval and Wicklund 1972). Social psychologists... more
What is self-awareness and why is it important? Self-awareness is critical for buyers and sellers because self-focused attention makes people more conscious of their attitudes and beliefs (Duval and Wicklund 1972). Social psychologists have investigated the implications of self-awareness for a variety of basic social and cognitive processes (emotions, pro-social behavior, and group dynamics)(Gibbons 1990).
Abstract Although the influence of identity on consumer behavior has been documented in many streams of literature, the absence of a consistent definition of identity and of generally accepted principles regarding the drivers of... more
Abstract Although the influence of identity on consumer behavior has been documented in many streams of literature, the absence of a consistent definition of identity and of generally accepted principles regarding the drivers of identity-based behavior complicates comparisons across these literatures. To resolve that problem, we propose a simple but inclusive definition of identity.
ABSTRACT-For many decisions, consumers need to consider the preferences of their relationship partners. When buying a suitable gift for his wife, for instance, a husband presumably tries to predict his partner's attitudes towards the... more
ABSTRACT-For many decisions, consumers need to consider the preferences of their relationship partners. When buying a suitable gift for his wife, for instance, a husband presumably tries to predict his partner's attitudes towards the alternatives he considers. Also joint decisions will proceed much more smoothly when partners know each other's preferences. Because consumers value partner approval, partner's attitudes are even taken into account when they purchase for themselves, like in clothes shopping.
It is a fundamental human drive to understand who one is, what one believes and what one does. Therefore, pointing out that consumers like products, brands and consumption behaviors that are linked to category labels with which they... more
It is a fundamental human drive to understand who one is, what one believes and what one does. Therefore, pointing out that consumers like products, brands and consumption behaviors that are linked to category labels with which they self-associate is rather uncontroversial. For example, if consumers view themselves as “athletes”, they are likely to behave in ways that are consistent with what it means to “be” an athlete.
ABSTRACT This study explores the effect of operating and strategic management plans on goingconcern judgments for distressed firms. Prior archival going-concern research (eg, Behn, Kaplan and Krumwiede, 2001) indicates that operating... more
ABSTRACT This study explores the effect of operating and strategic management plans on goingconcern judgments for distressed firms. Prior archival going-concern research (eg, Behn, Kaplan and Krumwiede, 2001) indicates that operating turnaround initiatives taken by a financially troubled firm (eg, cost-cutting) have a negative impact on auditors' going-concern judgments, whereas strategic initiatives (eg, new cooperative agreements with other firms) have a positive influence on auditors' going-concern judgments.
Abstract: This article addresses purchasing decisions and the use of total cost of ownership (TCO) information. TCO is based on a monetary quantification of nonfinancial attributes and aggregation into a summary measure (such as cost per... more
Abstract: This article addresses purchasing decisions and the use of total cost of ownership (TCO) information. TCO is based on a monetary quantification of nonfinancial attributes and aggregation into a summary measure (such as cost per hour, per wafer, or per kilometer). From an accounting point-of-view, one intricate issue is the accuracy of the monetary quantification and how this affects decision-making.
abstract Two experiments investigate the relations between advertising exposure, self-esteem and materialism. Evidence is found that ads for luxury products may influence consumers' levels of materialism and self-esteem. Consumers who... more
abstract Two experiments investigate the relations between advertising exposure, self-esteem and materialism. Evidence is found that ads for luxury products may influence consumers' levels of materialism and self-esteem. Consumers who claim being able to buy advertised luxuries report increased levels of materialism and an enhanced self-esteem after the exposure. In contrast, not being able to buy advertised luxuries appears to threaten consumers' self-esteem and to diminish their materialistic pursuits.
Abstract: We study how decision makers learn to improve performance across repeated budget allocation decisions. The costing system they use should be able to provide information that is of incremental value over mere outcome feedback and... more
Abstract: We study how decision makers learn to improve performance across repeated budget allocation decisions. The costing system they use should be able to provide information that is of incremental value over mere outcome feedback and informal knowledge about customer's cost. We report an experiment demonstrating that customer profitability analysis (CPA) facilitates learning of the most appropriate allocation of a marketing budget among customers.
ABSTRACT-Prior research on the consumer price fairness judgments mostly concentrates on the Dual Entitlement principle as a dominant rule for evaluation of the fairness of price changes introduced by firms. However, current literature... more
ABSTRACT-Prior research on the consumer price fairness judgments mostly concentrates on the Dual Entitlement principle as a dominant rule for evaluation of the fairness of price changes introduced by firms. However, current literature provides a very limited theoretical explanation for this principle. Building our reasons on equity and motivational theories we tested how the choice of a fairness principle is influenced by several situational factors.
ABSTRACT This study reports the results of an experiment designed to investigate the value of more accurate cost reports (ABC) in competitive pricing decisions. Previous work showed that in more competitive environments, cost system... more
ABSTRACT This study reports the results of an experiment designed to investigate the value of more accurate cost reports (ABC) in competitive pricing decisions. Previous work showed that in more competitive environments, cost system choice matters less since there is opportunity to learn from informative market signals. Our study argues that in a dynamic duopoly learning from such informative market signals is less effective when decision makers act as market leaders deciding first on prices.
Une mesure implicite est une mesure utilisant un protocole de recueil de données non centré directement sur l'objet d'investigation. Les mesures implicites présentées dans ce papier concernent soit la restitution mémorielle d'un concept... more
Une mesure implicite est une mesure utilisant un protocole de recueil de données non centré directement sur l'objet d'investigation. Les mesures implicites présentées dans ce papier concernent soit la restitution mémorielle d'un concept unique (ie la mémoire implicite), soit la restitution mémorielle d'associations (par exemple le Test d'Associations Implicites). Six domaines d'applications de ces mesures en marketing sont détaillés. Pour chaque domaine, les apports de ces mesures sont clairement identifiés.
We demonstrate that task-irrelevant somatic activity influences intertemporal decision making: Arm movements associated with approach (arm flexion), rather than avoidance (arm extension), instigate present-biased preferences. The effect... more
We demonstrate that task-irrelevant somatic activity influences intertemporal decision making: Arm movements associated with approach (arm flexion), rather than avoidance (arm extension), instigate present-biased preferences. The effect is moderated by the sensitivity of the general reward system and, owing to learning principles, restricted to arm positions of the dominant hand.
Abstract: Research presented in this article examines the impact of private self-awareness on consumer decision making. Three studies report converging evidence that by increasing self-awareness, consumers encounter fewer problems in... more
Abstract: Research presented in this article examines the impact of private self-awareness on consumer decision making. Three studies report converging evidence that by increasing self-awareness, consumers encounter fewer problems in determining their product attitudes and, thereby, behave in a way that is more consistent with their own personal product preferences.
In three experiments we examined the notion that interpretative thinking guides impression formation when playing a prisoner's dilemma game. In a first experiment, we demonstrated that an interpretation goal is spontaneously triggered... more
In three experiments we examined the notion that interpretative thinking guides impression formation when playing a prisoner's dilemma game. In a first experiment, we demonstrated that an interpretation goal is spontaneously triggered upon receiving ambiguous information about an interaction partner in the context of a prisoner's dilemma game. In Experiment 2, we examined whether in this context accessible knowledge is used as an interpretation frame for judging the interaction partner.
This paper reports experimental evidence on the potential benefits of reporting different levels of customer-related information in a pricing decision context. The paper mainly focuses on the influence of the complexity of the cost... more
This paper reports experimental evidence on the potential benefits of reporting different levels of customer-related information in a pricing decision context. The paper mainly focuses on the influence of the complexity of the cost environment-measured by the degree of heterogeneity across customers-on the value of more accurate customer profitability systems. Contrary to the findings of Gupta & King (1997) our results indicate that the value of more accurate cost reports increases, as the cost environment becomes more complex.
Abstract We studied the decision making process in the Dictator Game and showed that decisions are the result of a two-step process. In a first step, decision makers generate an automatic, intuitive proposal. Given sufficient motivation... more
Abstract We studied the decision making process in the Dictator Game and showed that decisions are the result of a two-step process. In a first step, decision makers generate an automatic, intuitive proposal. Given sufficient motivation and cognitive resources, they adjust this in a second, more deliberated phase.
Abstract Visceral states are known to have a (detrimental) impact on our ability to exert self-control. In the current research, we investigate the impact of a visceral factor associated with inhibition, rather than with approach: bladder... more
Abstract Visceral states are known to have a (detrimental) impact on our ability to exert self-control. In the current research, we investigate the impact of a visceral factor associated with inhibition, rather than with approach: bladder control. We argue that inhibitory signals are not domain specific, but can spill over to unrelated domains, resulting in increased impulse control in the behavioral domain. We show that urination urgency correlates with improved performance on color naming but not word meaning trials of a Stroop task (Study 1).
Abstract: Current knowledge accessibility research assumes primed trait concepts to have no biasing effects beyond the encoding stage. In a series of studies, we challenge this assumption. We predict that trait concepts still can... more
Abstract: Current knowledge accessibility research assumes primed trait concepts to have no biasing effects beyond the encoding stage. In a series of studies, we challenge this assumption. We predict that trait concepts still can influence the person judgments of a predictor who previously stored the target person information through selective retrieval of trait congruent information. Our results consistently reveal assimilation effects when participants are primed with traits at judgment.
ABSTRACT Household recycling is conceptualized as a social dilemma in which households have a choice between cooperative and defective options. Promoting cooperative choice in the recycling dilemma has emerged as an important issue for... more
ABSTRACT Household recycling is conceptualized as a social dilemma in which households have a choice between cooperative and defective options. Promoting cooperative choice in the recycling dilemma has emerged as an important issue for social marketing in recent years. Most of the available insights that could guide policy makers in designing appropriate social marketing strategies are based on research conducted in the context of voluntary recycling programs.
Consumenten worden dikwijls geconfronteerd met voedselverleidingen; in advertenties, in winkels, bij de bakker, bij vrienden en zelfs in onze eigen koelkast. Deze voedselverleidingen veroorzaken een zelfcontrole conflict. Bijvoorbeeld,... more
Consumenten worden dikwijls geconfronteerd met voedselverleidingen; in advertenties, in winkels, bij de bakker, bij vrienden en zelfs in onze eigen koelkast. Deze voedselverleidingen veroorzaken een zelfcontrole conflict. Bijvoorbeeld, het zien van een heerlijk dessert versterkt je verlangen ernaar (di je wil het direct opeten) maar activeert ook het tegenovergestelde lange-termijn doel (di gezond willen zijn en je voedselinname controleren; Carver & Scheier 1998; Miller, 1951).
Activity-Based Costing (ABC) is intended to assist managers to make better pricing decisions than those taken using traditional volume-based cost methods. The added value of ABC should be assessed against that of signals emanating from... more
Activity-Based Costing (ABC) is intended to assist managers to make better pricing decisions than those taken using traditional volume-based cost methods. The added value of ABC should be assessed against that of signals emanating from the competitive environment in which the firm operates. Prior research has often shown market-based information to be overwhelming, thereby calling into question the wisdom of investing in cost systems to better approximate actual costs.
With a few exceptions, the body has been largely ignored as a focus of research within the field of consumer behaviour (see Thompson and Hirschman 1995). This session examines the body as a vehicle for self-expression and identity... more
With a few exceptions, the body has been largely ignored as a focus of research within the field of consumer behaviour (see Thompson and Hirschman 1995). This session examines the body as a vehicle for self-expression and identity construction, the mutability of which is constrained by societal standards and biological limitations.
Respondents in four studies were more willing to comply with a help request if they previously agreed with the person asking for help. In all four studies, the topic of agreement was unrelated to the issue for which help was requested.... more
Respondents in four studies were more willing to comply with a help request if they previously agreed with the person asking for help. In all four studies, the topic of agreement was unrelated to the issue for which help was requested. Mere agreeing increased subsequent compliance in a real life telephone survey (Study 1). Agreeing respondents perceived the person presenting the statements as more similar to them than disagreeing of neutral respondents (Study 2).
We propose that an advice-taker's perceived similarity with an adviser creates a momentary subjective “feels right” experience towards the advice. The advice-taker incorporates this feeling, as information, into a judgment about topics of... more
We propose that an advice-taker's perceived similarity with an adviser creates a momentary subjective “feels right” experience towards the advice. The advice-taker incorporates this feeling, as information, into a judgment about topics of advice. Thus, persuasiveness of the advice is increased. Across six studies, we show that reliance on feelings moderates the effect of perceived similarity on advice persuasiveness. A similar adviser is more persuasive when advice-takers are instructed to use their feelings (vs.
In this paper we report the results of two experiments examining the influence of sunk historical investments for internal production on the outsourcing decision. Outsourcing activities to external companies in an important issue in... more
In this paper we report the results of two experiments examining the influence of sunk historical investments for internal production on the outsourcing decision. Outsourcing activities to external companies in an important issue in today's competitive environment. Transaction cost economics offers a theoretical explanation taking into account future transaction and production costs.
Sustainable economic development implies that a community is able to manage its production and disposal of waste. One way to realize efficient control is to bring as much as possible of the waste back into the economic circuit. Recycling... more
Sustainable economic development implies that a community is able to manage its production and disposal of waste. One way to realize efficient control is to bring as much as possible of the waste back into the economic circuit. Recycling and reuse have the additional advantage that the strain on the scarce spare capacity of landfills and incinerators is reduced.
Although attention is a key construct in models of marketing communications and consumer choice, its selective nature has rarely been examined in the time-pressured conditions that consumers face everyday. We investigate how consumers'... more
Although attention is a key construct in models of marketing communications and consumer choice, its selective nature has rarely been examined in the time-pressured conditions that consumers face everyday. We investigate how consumers' goals influence selective attention to product features under such conditions.
Abstract: Marketers present compromise food products (eg light chips) as a way to reduce consumers' conflict between the short-term desire of wanting a snack and the long-term goal of a healthy body. Policy makers welcome compromise... more
Abstract: Marketers present compromise food products (eg light chips) as a way to reduce consumers' conflict between the short-term desire of wanting a snack and the long-term goal of a healthy body. Policy makers welcome compromise products as a way to fight the obesity epidemic. Compromise products are typically associated with health. Two experiments and a survey were conducted to explore the effects of health references on the consumed amount of compromise products.
Abstract: The present research demonstrates that repeated active choice-making increases the susceptibility of consumers to salient affective product features. We show that affective features influence product choice more after a series... more
Abstract: The present research demonstrates that repeated active choice-making increases the susceptibility of consumers to salient affective product features. We show that affective features influence product choice more after a series of active product choices than after a series of compliances with purchase instructions. The combined results of three experiments suggest that repeated choice gradually depletes the mental capacity required for critical evaluation of choice alternatives, while ruling out alternative explanations.
Measures derived from eye-movement data reveal that during brand choice consumers adapt to time pressure by accelerating information, by filtering information and by changing their information acquisation strategy. In addition, consumers... more
Measures derived from eye-movement data reveal that during brand choice consumers adapt to time pressure by accelerating information, by filtering information and by changing their information acquisation strategy. In addition, consumers with high task motivation filter brand information less and pictorial information more. Consumers under time pressure filter textual ingredients information more, and pictoral information less.
We report a study in which eye tracking data were gathered to examine the impact of time-pressure and task motivation on the flow of visual attention during choice processing from a naturalistic stimulus-based product display. We find... more
We report a study in which eye tracking data were gathered to examine the impact of time-pressure and task motivation on the flow of visual attention during choice processing from a naturalistic stimulus-based product display. We find patterns of adaptation of visual attention to time pressure in terms of acceleration, filtration, and strategy shift that have not been reported previously. In addition we find, regardless of condition, strong correlation's between visual attention to the brands in the choice set and preference for the brands.
Most people prefer some variety in their activities, snacks, music, clothes, restaurants… In this article, we examined the effect of appetitive desires like hunger, thirst, and the desire for holidays on the tendency of individuals to... more
Most people prefer some variety in their activities, snacks, music, clothes, restaurants… In this article, we examined the effect of appetitive desires like hunger, thirst, and the desire for holidays on the tendency of individuals to seek diversity in the desired product classes like food, drinks, or holidays. Drawing on cognitive emotion theory (Lerner and Keltner 2000), we expected appetitive desire to facilitate variety seeking.
ABSTRACT Many consumer choices require predictions of partner's product attitudes. This paper provides insight into the underlying cognitive processes when consumers are predicting and learning their partner's product attitudes. A first... more
ABSTRACT Many consumer choices require predictions of partner's product attitudes. This paper provides insight into the underlying cognitive processes when consumers are predicting and learning their partner's product attitudes. A first study investigates the impact of mere awareness one is predicting partner's attitudes on the prediction process. Participants predicted product attitudes of their partner, but we manipulated whether they were aware of this. After each prediction the partner's real attitude was provided.
Abstract Although the influence of identity on consumer behavior has been documented in many streams of literature, the absence of a consistent definition of identity and of generally accepted principles regarding the drivers of... more
Abstract Although the influence of identity on consumer behavior has been documented in many streams of literature, the absence of a consistent definition of identity and of generally accepted principles regarding the drivers of identity-based behavior complicates comparisons across these literatures. To resolve that problem, we propose a simple but inclusive definition of identity.
Abstract This study explores the way trust is built at the level of the inter-firm relationship and the role that controls and information play in this process. We use a 3 (no, weak or strong control system) X 2 (traditional versus more... more
Abstract This study explores the way trust is built at the level of the inter-firm relationship and the role that controls and information play in this process. We use a 3 (no, weak or strong control system) X 2 (traditional versus more refined Total Cost of Ownership information) experimental design to investigate the influence of cost information and its interaction with inter-firm control systems on buyer-supplier negotiations and on resulting outcomes.
Abstract: Concurrent cognitive load has a devastating effect on consumer decision making. Implicit in the theorizing about cognitive load seems to be that this negative effect disappears when the load is removed.
Abstract: In daily life, people are often exposed to food temptations, such as ads for chocolate or friends offering cookies. This article examines how consumers respond to such food temptations. We investigate whether food temptations,... more
Abstract: In daily life, people are often exposed to food temptations, such as ads for chocolate or friends offering cookies. This article examines how consumers respond to such food temptations. We investigate whether food temptations, differing in strength (weak vs. strong), lead consumers to eat more or rather help them in exerting self-control. The results of three experiments suggest that weak food temptations activate food-related thoughts, and lead to overconsumption.
The present paper shows that the frequency of people's compliance with a request can be substantially increased if the requester first gets them to agree with a series of statements unrelated to the request but selected to induce... more
The present paper shows that the frequency of people's compliance with a request can be substantially increased if the requester first gets them to agree with a series of statements unrelated to the request but selected to induce agreement. We label this effect the 'mere-agreement effect'and present a two-step similarity-based mechanism to explain it.
ABSTRACT This study experimentally investigates the value of cost report accuracy in an interactive pricing context. Market agents received feedback about their own profits via either a volume-based costing or a more accurate... more
ABSTRACT This study experimentally investigates the value of cost report accuracy in an interactive pricing context. Market agents received feedback about their own profits via either a volume-based costing or a more accurate activity-based costing report. They also received a typical market report containing the performance of their rivals.
Abstract One field study and five experiments show that seemingly irrelevant bodily actions influence consumer behavior. These studies demonstrate that arm flexion (in which the motor action is directed toward the self) versus arm... more
Abstract One field study and five experiments show that seemingly irrelevant bodily actions influence consumer behavior. These studies demonstrate that arm flexion (in which the motor action is directed toward the self) versus arm extension (in which the motor action is directed away from the self) influences purchase behavior, product preferences, and economic decisions.
Abstract Visceral states are known to reduce the ability to exert self-control. In the current research, we investigated how self-control is affected by a visceral factor associated with inhibition rather than with approach: bladder... more
Abstract Visceral states are known to reduce the ability to exert self-control. In the current research, we investigated how self-control is affected by a visceral factor associated with inhibition rather than with approach: bladder control. We designed four studies to test the hypothesis that inhibitory signals are not domain-specific but can spill over to unrelated domains, resulting in increased impulse control in the behavioral domain.
Household recycling is conceptualized as a social dilemma in which households have a choice between cooperative and defective options. Promoting cooperative choice in the recycling dilemma has emerged as an important issue for social... more
Household recycling is conceptualized as a social dilemma in which households have a choice between cooperative and defective options. Promoting cooperative choice in the recycling dilemma has emerged as an important issue for social marketing in recent years. Most of the available insights that could guide policy makers in designing appropriate social marketing strategies are based on research conducted in the context of voluntary recycling programs.
gebruikt worden als basis voor sociale beïnvloeding. De interpretatie van het gedrag kan ook door een sociale marketer aangereikt worden. Bovendien houden consumenten van consistentie. Ze zien zichzelf niet graag als chaotische beslissers... more
gebruikt worden als basis voor sociale beïnvloeding. De interpretatie van het gedrag kan ook door een sociale marketer aangereikt worden. Bovendien houden consumenten van consistentie. Ze zien zichzelf niet graag als chaotische beslissers die om de haverklap van mening veranderen. Een beslissing die consistent is met wat we eerder al deden, zien we vaak als een goede beslissing (Cialdini 2001).
ABSTRACT This paper experimentally investigates how leaders and followers in a duopoly set prices for two product markets that have different overhead costs. In a fully crossed two-by-two design, we manipulate the participants' private... more
ABSTRACT This paper experimentally investigates how leaders and followers in a duopoly set prices for two product markets that have different overhead costs. In a fully crossed two-by-two design, we manipulate the participants' private cost report quality as either low or high, representing the extent to which these reports reveal that product markets have different overhead costs.
Abstract Drawing on the social intuitionist model, the authors studied the hypothesis that social value orientations are expressed automatically in behavior. They compared spontaneous and more deliberated decisions in the dictator game... more
Abstract Drawing on the social intuitionist model, the authors studied the hypothesis that social value orientations are expressed automatically in behavior. They compared spontaneous and more deliberated decisions in the dictator game and confirmed that social values determine behavior when responses are based on the automatic system.
Six experiments examined the effects of person factors (ie, social value orientation and consistency) and situation factors (ie, stereotype primes) on cooperative behavior in various experimental games. Results indicated that the main and... more
Six experiments examined the effects of person factors (ie, social value orientation and consistency) and situation factors (ie, stereotype primes) on cooperative behavior in various experimental games. Results indicated that the main and joint influences of person and situation factors on cooperative choices depend on the nature of the game (ie, prisoner's dilemma or dictator game).
Abstract: In this paper we investigate how the provision of total cost of ownership (TCO) information affects attribute weights in sourcing decisions, and how this effect is moderated by decision complexity. TCO quantifies the costs of... more
Abstract: In this paper we investigate how the provision of total cost of ownership (TCO) information affects attribute weights in sourcing decisions, and how this effect is moderated by decision complexity. TCO quantifies the costs of each decision alternative for purchasing decisions, from the perspective of the buying organization.
ABSTRACT Conditioning of non-evaluative brand properties corresponds to a transfer of cognitive meaning from an unconditioned stimulus to a brand (the conditioned stimulus) by repeatedly pairing the two stimuli. Existing evidence for this... more
ABSTRACT Conditioning of non-evaluative brand properties corresponds to a transfer of cognitive meaning from an unconditioned stimulus to a brand (the conditioned stimulus) by repeatedly pairing the two stimuli. Existing evidence for this mechanism is still scarce and demand effects may account for some past findings. The first goal of this study is thus to provide further support for the existence of nonevaluative conditioning using an implicit measure of association formation.