Nocebo effects from negative product information: when information hurts, paying money could heal

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumitava Mukherjee ◽  
Arvind Sahay
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Product Information ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Negative Information ◽  
High Price ◽  
Nocebo Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Price Levels ◽  
Nocebo Effects

Purpose This research aimed to find whether information about a product can give rise to negative perceptions even in inert situations (nocebo effects), and to understand how price levels impact such judgments. Design/methodology/approach In all experiments, participants were exposed to negative product information in the form of potential side-effects. In an initial study, a higher non-discounted versus a discounted price frame was presented for a health drink after customers were exposed to negative aspects. Then, in experiment 1, price (high vs low) and exposure to information (no information vs negative information) was manipulated for skin creams where participants physically evaluated the cream. In experiment 2, price was manipulated at three levels (low, high, discounted) orthogonally with product information (no negative information vs with negative information) to get a more nuanced understanding. Findings In the initial study, after exposure to negative information, the non-discounted group had more positive ratings for the drink. Study 1 showed that reading about negative information resulted in a nocebo effect on perception of dryness (side-effect). Moreover, when no information was presented, perception of dryness by low and high price groups were similar but in the face of negative information, perception of dryness by low-price group was more pronounced compared to a high-price group. Study 2 conceptually replicated the effect and also confirmed that not only discounts (commonly linked with product quality), but absolute price levels also show a similar effect. Practical implications Nocebo effects have been rarely documented in consumer research. This research showed how simply reading generically about potential side effects gives rise to nocebo effects. In addition, even though marketers might find it tempting to lower prices when there is negative information about certain product categories, such an action could backfire. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, the link between observable nocebo effects and its link with pricing actions is a novel research thread. We were able to show a nocebo effect on product perception after reading about negative information and also find that a higher price can mitigate the nocebo effect to some extent.

Does impact of price endings differ for the non-green and green products? Role of product categories and price levels

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avinash Tripathi ◽  
Neeraj Pandey
Keyword(s):  
High Price ◽  
Green Products ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Price Levels ◽  
Price Endings ◽  
Product Appeal ◽  
Price Ending ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The discount image associated with odd-ending prices has led to its extensive use by retailers. The purpose of this study is to assess the impacts and applications of nine-ending vs round-ending prices on the purchase of green and non-green products at different price levels and under different purchase motivations. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments are conducted. The first experiment is a 2 (price ending: nine-ending vs round-ending) × 2 (product appeal: green vs non-green) between-subjects study; the second experiment is a 2 (price ending: nine-ending vs round-ending) × 2 (price level: low price vs high price) × 2 (product appeal: green vs non-green) between-subjects study; and the third experiment examined buyers’ preferences of price endings regarding the purchase of green products having either utility (utilitarian) or pleasure (hedonic) motivation. Findings This research highlights that consumers prefer zero-ending prices for green products and pleasure motivation products, but they prefer odd endings for low-priced and utilitarian products. These results support the increased reception of round-ending prices. Accordingly, this study contributes to the literature by providing a boundary condition for odd-ending prices. Specifically, the study finds that the effect of nine-ending prices becomes weaker as the price of the product increases. Practical implications The findings of this study have practical implications for managers, as the results indicate that pricing green products and high-quality perception products using round digits and pricing low-priced and utility perception products using odd digits will increase consumers’ purchase intentions. Moreover, pricing the products using round-ending prices will reduce the perception of low quality and deter brand loyalty emanating from a low-priced/discount image of a product. Originality/value This research contributes to theoretical and practical aspects of behavioural pricing literature. This research uncovers the buyers’ distinct preferences for zero-ending prices and odd-ending prices when purchasing different products based on different motivations and varied price levels. This is the first research of its kind to explore and compare the impact of psychological pricing on green products. The study also resolves a contradiction in past literature regarding the use of nine-ending prices by providing boundary conditions.

Media channels and consumer purchasing decisions

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (8) ◽  
pp. 1510-1528 ◽  
Author(s):  
JongRoul Woo ◽  
Joongha Ahn ◽  
Jongsu Lee ◽  
Yoonmo Koo
Keyword(s):  
Credit Card ◽  
Product Information ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Consumer Information ◽  
Media Planning ◽  
Specific Product ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Media Channels ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors determining which communication mediums influence a given consumer deciding to purchase a specific product. Design/methodology/approach – Using a consumer survey and a multivariate probit (MVP) model, the authors explore consumer information searches related to purchases in nine categories: milk, instant noodles, shampoo, mobile phones, televisions, cars, mobile communication services, credit card services, and life insurance. Findings – The media channels that motivate a given consumer to make a given purchase vary depending on both socio-demographic variables and product categories. Practical implications – As consumers can now obtain product information through different and multiple media channels according to their personal characteristics and the category of the product they seek to purchase, these findings will help companies develop media planning strategies that will effectively target specific market segments. Originality/value – Unlike previous studies, the authors consider which media channels actually affect a consumer’s product purchase decisions, and the authors do so across product categories and media types to provide practical implications for media planning. Furthermore, this is the first application of the MVP model in this context.

Loyalty cards, credit options and economic market development

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-607
Author(s):  
Stephan Zielke ◽  
Marcin Komor
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Credit Cards ◽  
Emerging Countries ◽  
High Price ◽  
Private Debt ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Developed Markets

PurposeThis paper analyses three strategies in customers’ use to afford consumption in a developed and an emerging market for different product groups. The strategies are: (1) usage of loyalty cards, (2) usage of credit cards and (3) usage of long-term credits.Design/methodology/approachMall intercept surveys conducted in Poland (emerging market) and Germany (developed market) provide data for testing a set of hypotheses using ANOVAs.FindingsResults show that customers in emerging markets show no differences in the usage of loyalty cards for product categories with high shopping frequency (groceries) compared to developed markets, while in all other product categories loyalty card usage is stronger. Results show further that in low price categories, customers in emerging markets use credit card payments more often compared to customers in developed markets. In high price categories, they use credit cards less often, but long-term credits more often.Research limitations/implicationsResults have implications for the design of loyalty programs and payment options in different markets. Results have also implications for public policy regarding concerns about increasing private debt in emerging countries.Originality/valueThis paper suggests a cost-benefit framework where customers in emerging countries perceive benefits of loyalty cards and credit options higher, while they are willing to bear higher costs. As a result, effects of product category characteristics on usage that are observable in developed markets do not exist in emerging markets.

Intrathecal and intraventricular morphine for pain in cancer patients: initial study

1982 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milam E. Leavens ◽  
C. Stratton Hill ◽  
David A. Cech ◽  
Jane B. Weyland ◽  
Jaye S. Weston
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Pain Relief ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Intrathecal Morphine ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Intractable Pain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Intractable pain in six cancer patients was treated with lumbar intrathecal morphine (two patients) and intraventricular morphine (four patients). Daily percutaneous injections of morphine through Ommaya reservoirs were made. Initially, 1 mg of lumbar intrathecal morphine resulted in pain relief for 10 to 14 hours, and 2.5 to 4.0 mg of intraventricular morphine gave relief for 12 to 24 hours. This treatment was continued for 3 to 7 months in three of the adults. Morphine requirements gradually increased. Side effects were minimal, and there were no complications.

scholarly journals How detailed product information strengthens eco-friendly consumption

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1084-1099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria-Sophie Osburg ◽  
Vignesh Yoganathan ◽  
Sandra Brueckner ◽  
Waldemar Toporowski
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Product Information ◽  
Negative Information ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Identity

Purpose Whilst many studies consider labelling as means of aggregated communication of environmental product features, the presentation of detailed product information seems a promising alternative. However, the mechanisms through which detailed product information takes effect on consumers requires better understanding. The purpose of this paper is to empirically develop a framework that focuses on consumers’ perceived usefulness of, and trust in, detailed product information, whilst also considering the role of environmental self-identity. This understanding will help businesses to further stimulate eco-friendly consumption. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling and conditional process analysis are utilised to test hypotheses based on a sample of 279 respondents to a German online survey. Findings Results show that the perceived usefulness of product information (PUPI) has a positive effect on purchase intention, and this effect is intensified by an individual’s environmental self-identity. Furthermore, for consumers with high environmental self-identity, the effect of PUPI on purchase intention is mediated in turn by trust in detailed product information and resistance to negative information. Originality/value This study contributes to the debate on the role of product information in ethical consumption by showing how detailed product information gives rise to favourable behavioural outcomes. When detailed information is perceived as being useful, it can affect purchase intention through greater trust and an increased resistance to negative information. Further, detailed product information appears beneficial for both, the mass market and specific segments with high environmental self-identity. Hence, this study empirically establishes the effects of detailed product information on consumer decision making, thus informing sustainability-related marketing theory and practice.

Commentary: Harm, Truth, and the Nocebo Effect

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-245
Author(s):  
DIEN HO
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Nocebo Effect ◽  
Ethical Point ◽  
Nocebo Effects ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
The One ◽  
Duty To Inform ◽  
Physiological Reactions

Nocebo effects occur when an individual experiences undesirable physiological reactions caused by doxastic states that are not a treatment’s core or characteristic features.1 As Scott Gelfand2 points out, there are numerous studies that have shown that the disclosure of a treatment’s side effects to a patient increases the risk of the side effects. From an ethical point of view, nocebo effects caused by the disclosures of side effects present a challenging problem. On the one hand, clinicians’ duty to inform patients of the consequences (including possible side effects) of their treatments is critical in ensuring that patients’ autonomy is respected. Patients cannot act autonomously if relevant information is withheld from them (without their consent, perhaps). On the other hand, clinicians also ought to minimize harm to patients.

Communicating across age-groups: variance in consumer attitudes from tweenagers to adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruppal Walia Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Product Information ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Recall ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Communication Needs

Purpose – This paper aims to study whether age impacts the responses to different communication cues in terms of brand recall, attitude toward advertisement, attitude toward brand and purchase intention, and which age groups respond more favorably to a given cue. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental research was conducted across a sample of 1,050 respondents in Delhi to test variance in consumer attitudes across “tweenagers”, teenagers, youth, young adults and adults, when exposed to different communication cues for dummy brands of biscuits and mobile handsets. Findings – Significant variances were observed in consumer attitudes across the five age groups. However, the variation pattern differs across the two product categories. The caricature cue worked well for biscuits across most age groups. For mobile handsets, the picture cue was very effective for the two younger age groups but not as much for others. The product information cue was highly effective for adults. Practical implications – The study provides insights on making communication for brands targeted at more than one age group. If adults are a part of the marketers’ age group, some amount of product information is highly desirable, just as bright pictures/caricatures are necessary for tweenagers. For teenagers, who exhibit high variance vis-a-vis other age groups, communication needs to be customized. For brands where both children and adults are part of the target audience, common appeals can easily be identified, as they had similar responses in all but one case. Originality/value – The framework proposed in this research fills a gap in the existing literature by establishing that age impacts attitude formation in response to communication cues and gives insights for marketing communication.

Psychobiological Mechanisms of Placebo and Nocebo Effects: Pathways to Improve Treatments and Reduce Side Effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 599-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith J. Petrie ◽  
Winfried Rief
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Treatment Success ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Placebo Effects ◽  
Nocebo Effect ◽  
Medical Interventions ◽  
Nocebo Effects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Improve Clinical Outcome

Placebo effects constitute a major part of treatment success in medical interventions. The nocebo effect also has a major impact, as it accounts for a significant proportion of the reported side effects for many treatments. Historically, clinical trials have aimed to reduce placebo effects; however, currently, there is interest in optimizing placebo effects to improve existing treatments and in examining ways to minimize nocebo effects to improve clinical outcome. To achieve these aims, a better understanding of the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of the placebo and nocebo response is required. This review discusses the impact of the placebo and nocebo response in health care. We also examine the mechanisms involved in the placebo and nocebo effects, including the central mechanism of expectations. Finally, we examine ways to enhance placebo effects and reduce the impact of the nocebo response in clinical practice and suggest areas for future research.

Synergistic action of propolis with levodopa in the management of Parkinsonism in Drosophila melanogaster

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Tiyo Ayikobua ◽  
Josephine Kasolo ◽  
Keneth Iceland Kasozi ◽  
Ejike Daniel Eze ◽  
Abass Safiriyu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Motor Activity ◽  
Ethanolic Extract ◽  
Synergistic Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Ethanolic Extract Of Propolis ◽  
Different Doses

AbstractBackgroundThe Phosphatase and tensin-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1B9) mutant for Drosophila melanogaster is a key tool that has been used in assessing the pathology of Parkinsonism and its possible remedy. This research was targeted toward determining the effects of ethanolic extract of propolis, with levodopa therapy in the management of Parkinsonism.MethodThe PINK1B9 flies were divided into groups and fed with the different treatment doses of ethanoic extract of propolis. The treatment groups were subjected to 21 days of administration of propolis and the levodopa at different doses after which percentage climbing index, antioxidant activity and lifespan studies were done.ResultsPropolis alone improved motor activity, antioxidant and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster than in PINK1 flies. Propolis in combination with levodopa significantly (P<0.05) improved physiological parameters at higher than lower concentrations in Parkinsonism Drosophila melanogaster demonstrating its importance in managing side effects associated with levodopa.ConclusionPropolis is a novel candidate as an alternative and integrative medicinal option to use in the management of Parkinsonism in both animals and humans at higher concentrations.

When foreign brands appear local, and local brands appear foreign

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Chen
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Brand Names ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Foreign Brand ◽  
Foreign Brands

PurposeBoth foreign and local companies frequently name their brands in foreign language on the market of developing countries, and some of them choose to disclose the brands' country of origin to consumers. The purpose of this research is to investigate the joint effects between the practices of disclosing the actual country of origin of the brands and the language of the brand names on consumers' purchase intention for foreign brands and local brands in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed hypotheses were tested in two studies, namely an experiment and a field experimental survey, with stimuli from two product categories.FindingsThe results of the two empirical studies with Chinese participants consistently demonstrate that revealing the actual country of origin of the brands undermines consumers' purchase intention for local brands that use foreign brand names, but does not impact consumers' purchase intention for foreign brands that use local brand names.Originality/valueThis research first investigates the effects of adapting the brand names into local language of developing countries for brands from developed countries on consumers' purchase intention, which provides new insight into the literature on foreign branding and country of origin effects as well as practical implications for brand managers.

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