8.3.1
Dominant choice behavior
Since inertia-prone behavior and variety-seeking behavior are two opposites, it was chosen to recode the answers given to the questions related to inertia-prone behavior. In this way, all choice behavior answers close to (1) on the Likert-scale indicate that inertia-prone behavior was dominant and all choice behavior answers close to (7) on the Likert-scale indicate that variety-seeking behavior was dominant.
Prior to further analyses, the reliability of the 16 items regarding the customers’ choice process present in a products’ category was calculated. Cronbach’s alpha was .86. Thus, all the items measuring customers’ choice process were reliable, and therefore a sum score variable was computed.
A Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the scores on the choice process questions were significantly higher for the variety-seeking products categories (Mean Rank = 43.16, n = 32) than for the inertia-prone product categories (Mean Rank = 21.84, n = 32), U = 171.00, z = - 4.58 (corrected for ties), p = .000, two-tailed. This effect can be described as large (r = .81). These results are as expected, since higher scores indicate more variety-seeking behavior, and lower scores indicate more inertia-prone behavior. The results therefore confirm that cereal and shower gel can be seen as variety-seeking product categories, and that milk and sandwich bags can be seen as inertia-prone product categories.
8.3.2
Shape manipulations – Packaging
The reliability of the 2 items regarding the packaging shape was calculated. Cronbach’s alpha was .95. Thus, the items measuring packaging shape were reliable, and therefore a sum score variable was computed.
After this, Mann-Whitney U tests were performed for each product category. For cereal, the Mann-Whitney U
test indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 12.50, n = 8) than for the angular packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 4.50, n = 8), U = 0.000,
p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.24). For milk, the Mann-Whitney U test also indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 12.50, n = 8) than for the angular packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 4.50, n = 8), U = 0.000, p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.21). For shower gel, the Mann-Whitney U test also indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 11.75,
n = 8) than for the angular packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 5.25, n = 8), U = 0.000, p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 0.98). For sandwich bags, the Mann-Whitney U test also indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 12.50, n = 8) than for the angular packaging shapes (Mean Rank = 4.50, n = 8), U = 0.000, p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.20). All the above mentioned results are as expected, since higher scores indicate more rounded shapes, and lower scores indicate more angular shapes. The results therefore confirm that for all
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product categories the packaging shape manipulations were successful, since the rounded packaging can indeed be seen as a rounded packaging, and the angular packaging can indeed be seen as an angular packaging.
8.3.3
Shape manipulations – Sales promotion
The reliability of the 2 items regarding the sales promotion shape was calculated. Cronbach’s alpha was .89. Thus, the items measuring sales promotion shape were reliable, and therefore a sum score variable was computed.
After this, Mann-Whitney U tests were performed for each product category. For cereal, the Mann-Whitney U
test indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 12.50, n = 8) than for the angular sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 4.50, n = 8), U = 0.000, p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.21). For milk, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 12.19, n = 8) than for the angular sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 4.81, n = 8), U = 2.500, p = .001. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.12). For shower gel, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 12.50, n = 8) than for the angular sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 4.50, n = 8), U = 0.000, p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.21). For sandwich bags, the Mann-Whitney U
test indicated that the scores on the shape questions were significantly higher for the rounded sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 12.50, n = 8) than for the angular sales promotion shapes (Mean Rank = 4.50, n = 8), U = 0.000, p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.20). All the above mentioned results are as expected, since higher scores indicate more rounded shapes, and lower scores indicate more angular shapes. The results therefore confirm that for all product categories the sales promotion shape manipulations were successful, since the rounded sales promotion can indeed be seen as a rounded sales promotion, and the angular sales promotion can indeed be seen as an angular sales promotion.
8.3.4
Shape (in)congruence
Next, Mann-Whitney U tests were performed for each product category to see if shape (in)congruence between the packaging and sales promotion was present. For cereal, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the scores on the (in)congruence question were not significantly higher for the congruent shapes (Mean Rank = 10.00, n = 8) than for the incongruent shapes (Mean Rank = 7.00, n = 8), U = 20.000, p = .234. For milk, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the scores on the (in)congruence question were significantly higher for the congruent shapes (Mean Rank = 11.75, n = 8) than for the incongruent shapes (Mean Rank = 5.25, n = 8), U = 6.000, p = .005. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.00). For shower gel, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the scores on the (in)congruence question were not significantly higher for the congruent shapes (Mean Rank = 10.50, n = 8) than for the incongruent shapes (Mean Rank = 6.50, n = 8), U = 16.000, p = .105. For sandwich bags, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the scores on the (in)congruence question were significantly higher for the congruent shapes (Mean Rank = 12.38, n = 8) than for the incongruent shapes (Mean Rank = 4.63, n = 8), U = 1.000, p = .000. This effect can be described as very large (r = 1.17). The above