카테고리 효과 대 랭킹 효과: 타인 선물과 본인 사용 간의사결정 차이에 대한 해석수준의 영향을 중심으로

김도연 ( Doyun Kim ),박세범 ( Se Bum Park ) 한국소비자학회 2015 소비자학연구 Vol.26 No.5

본 연구는 두 제품의 가격대가 비슷할 때, 브랜드 지위가 높지만 브랜드 내 모델 랭킹은 낮은 제품과 브랜드 지위는 낮지만 브랜드 내 모델 랭킹은 높은 제품 간 트레이드 오프의 딜레마 상황에서 해석수준(construal level)이 소비자의 판단과 의사결정에 미치는 영향을 규명하고자 하였다. 소비자들이 ‘높은 지위 브랜드의 낮은 랭킹 모델’ 옵션을 더 선호하는 현상은 카테고리 효과(category effect)에 해당하고 ‘낮은 지위 브랜드의 높은 랭킹 모델’ 옵션을 더 선호하는 현상은 랭킹 효과에(ranking effect) 해당한다. 본 연구는 심리적 거리와 해석수준이 카테고리 효과와 랭킹 효과에 영향을 미친다고 제안하고 일련의 실험들을 통해 이를 입증하였다. 구체적으로, 의사결정자와 타겟 사용자 간 심리적 거리가 ‘본인 사용’ 조건 대 ‘타인 선물’ 조건으로 조작된 가운데, 다양한 제품군들을 대상으로 4개의 실험들이 수행되었으며, 수렴적인 결과들이 도출되었다. 타겟 사용자와의 심리적 거리가 먼 ‘타인 선물’ 조건에서 타겟 제품에 대하여 높은 해석수준에서 사고하여 카테고리 효과가 나타났다. 반면, 타겟 사용자와의 심리적 거리가 가까운 ‘본인 사용’ 조건에서는 낮은 해석수준에서 사고하여 랭킹 효과가 나타났다. 마지막으로, 타겟 사용자와의 심리적 거리에 적합하지 않은 마인드 셋 점화는 이와 같은 효과를 약화시켰다. 이와 같이, 본 연구는 의사결정자와 타겟 사용자 간 심리적 거리와 해석수준에 따라 브랜드의 지위가 높은 제품 대 모델의 랭킹이 높은 제품에 대한 판단과 선택이 달라질 수 있다는 것을 입증하였다. Consumers are often faced with the decision-making dilemma of a trade-off between a low-ranking model of a high-status brand (e.g., an Audi’s lowest quality model) and a high-ranking model of a low-status brand (e.g., a Volkswagen’s highest quality model), when their prices are approximately the same. Leclerc, Hsee, and Nunes (2005) conceptualized the relative preference between the two products in such a dilemma. The category effect refers to when consumers favor a low-ranking member of a high-status category over a high-ranking member of a low-status category because they evaluate the items based on the categories to which they belong. In the meantime, the ranking effect means that a high-ranking member of a low-status category is evaluated more favorably, since they are assessed based on their rank within their categories. In addition, it has been argued that since these effects are moderated by an evaluation mode, the category effect appears in the joint evaluation mode whereas the ranking effect is seen in the separate evaluation mode. The current study suggests that another factor influences the ranking and category effects, in addition to the evaluation mode. We propose construal level as a determining factor, and attempt to demonstrate this empirically. At a high level of construal, people tend to focus on abstract benefits and make the mental representation at superordinate levels, so they are likely to refer to broad referents at higher levels. Therefore, it was expected that the category effect, which means that objects are evaluated based on the status or desirability of the categories to which they belong, was more likely to prevail at the high construal level. On the other hand, at the low construal level, people tend to focus on the concrete “how” aspects of the object and make mental representations at subordinate levels, so they are likely to focus on immediate narrow referents at lower levels. Thus, it was predicted that the construing of objects in a low level would allow the ranking effect to appear, under which objects are evaluated based on their position or rank within the category. To test these research hypotheses, a total of 4 experiments with various products were conducted, where psychological distance between the decision maker and the target user was manipulated by associating the purchase situation with use for self versus a gift for others. Since the products presented as gifts are often limited by beneficiaries’ gender and age, experiments 1A through 1C were performed by adopting the same experimental design and procedure in the context of various products including pizza, cosmetic cream and a beauty salon. In three experiments, participants were randomly assigned to one condition in a 2 (target user: self vs. gift for others) × 2 (mind-set: how vs. why) between-subject design. They were then instructed to imagine that they were considering purchasing the product for themselves or as a gift for others. After the “how” or the “why” mind-set was primed in correspondence to the experimental condition, participants were offered two options: a low-ranking model of a high-status brand, and a high-ranking model of a low-status brand. The prices of the two options were set to be equivalent. In turn, they were asked to indicate their relative preference and choice between these two conflicting options. Finally, the manipulation check for brand status, model ranking, and mind-set were conducted. All manipulations turned out to be successful. The converging results from this set of experiments were revealed as follows. First, the category effect was found when people decided to purchase a gift for others, whereas the ranking effect was observed when people decided to purchase for their own use (Hypothesis 1). Second, while the category effect prevailed in a “why” mind-set, the ranking effect was more likely in a “how” mind-set (Hypothesis 2). Lastly, priming the mind-set to be mismatched with the psychological distance between the decision maker and the product diminished these effects. Specifically, priming the “how” mind-set seemed to attenuate the category effect in the condition of purchasing a gift for others, whereas the “why” mind-set prime appeared to diminish the ranking effect in the condition of purchasing for self (Hypothesis 3). Ultimately, experiment 2 was conducted to verify the mediating effect of construal level (Hypothesis 4). A 2 (target user: self vs. gift for others) between-subject design was employed. Experiment procedures and dependent variables were almost the same as those used in the previous experiments; however, experiment 2 measured the construal level to examine the mediating effect, whereas experiments 1A through 1C manipulated the ‘why’ or ‘how’ mind-set. Wine, which adult males often drink or give as a gift, was employed for experiment 2, considering that the participants in experiments 1B through 1C were limited to adult females. As a result, hypothesis 1 was affirmed. More importantly, the findings supported hypothesis 4, revealing that construal level mediated the effect of the psychological distance between the decision maker and the target user on the preference discrepancy. Overall, our findings contributed to the construal level approach to the dilemma of the trade-off between high-status brand and high-ranking model, suggesting construal level as a new factor that influences both the category effect and the ranking effect. This study also provided managerial implications in targeting and marketing communication strategies based on product status.

시각 장애인을 위한 모바일 사진촬영 가이드 시스템

김태협(Taehyub Kim),김도연(Doyun Kim),임동혁(Donghyuk Im),홍현기(Hyunki Hong) 대한전자공학회 2013 전자공학회논문지 Vol.50 No.7

스마트폰이 폭넓게 보급되면서 시각장애인을 위한 스마트폰 어플리케이션이 다양하게 개발되고 있으며, 이와 함께 시각장애인이 모바일 단말을 이용한 사진 촬영의 필요성도 증가하고 있다. 시각장애인들은 자신의 기록을 남기거나 타인과 교류를 하기 위해 사진을 촬영하며, 실제 취득 과정에서는 촉각과 청각에 의존하거나 타인의 도움이 요구된다. 본 논문에서는 시각장애인이 사용하는 모바일 카메라의 입력 영상을 대상으로 사전에 등록된 인물을 인식하고 눈깜빡임이나 블러 등의 유무 등을 검사한다. 또한 시각장애인이 스스로 사진촬영이 가능하도록 가이드 정보 등을 음성으로 안내하는 새로운 시스템이 제안된다. Various smart phone applications have been widely developed and an intelligent service to take a picture for the visually handicapped is needed. By using an auditory service and/or other"s help, the blind capture an image with their cameras for keeping a record or exchanging the information with another people. However, they are difficult to take the wanted picture because they are unable to grasp the visual contents in the viewfinder. This paper presents a novel guiding system for the blind people to take a picture with the smart phone. The proposed method identifies a person in the picture and determines the presence of eye blinks and blurring. The system provides a guiding information such as camera directions, which are transferred into the blind user with auditory service.