Influence of Contagious versus Noncontagious Product Groupings on Consumer Preferences

This article studies the influence of product groupings on consumer preferences. Specifically, it is proposed that when each product in two groups has an equal chance of a gain, consumers prefer to choose from a group that appears more contagious (e.g., products arranged close together, similarly, or symmetrically). However, when each product in two groups has an equal chance of a loss, consumers prefer to choose from a group that appears less contagious (e.g., products arranged apart, dissimilarly, or asymmetrically). Across three experiments, the effect is demonstrated, and contagion theory is used to explicate the underlying process.