The Consumer Preference Analysis under Multiattribute Decision Making Model

Generally when consumers buy a product, their decision model is one kind of multiple attribute decision making model. Moreover, conjoint analysis is the most popular analysis method applied in consumer preference research under multiple attribute decision making model. However, conjoint analysis has some limits. When there are a large number of product attributes or levels within attributes, it is difficult for respondent to evalluate the stimulus, which influence the difficulty of data collection and accuracy of analysis.

Base on consumer behavior theory, each consumer has different perception. Therefore, different consumer has different involvement which lead the difference of decision making. This study is intended to combine involvement concept with conjoint analysis to explore whether involvement can explain the consumer behavior under multiple attribute decision making model and whether there are preference difference between consumers having different involvement.

In this study notebook and instant noodles are used to be the research products. The empirical results show:

1.There are some significant differences in preference and attributes between low-involvement and high-involvement consumers. The most important attribute for high-involvement notebook consumer is price but for low-involvement notebook consumer is brand; the most important attribute for high-involvement instant noodles consumer is flavor but for low-involvement instant noodles consumer is enclosed condiment.
2.There are some significant differences in the number of considerated attributes between low-involvement and high-involvement consumers. Generally speaking, the number of attributes that high-involvement consumer consider with is more than he number of attributes that low-involvement consumer consider with.