CAJ | 학술논문

由于人们更加关切与其解释水平相匹配的信息、经验和事物,解释水平能够系统性地影响人们的判断与决策。本研究将解释水平视为重要的调节变量,探查它对消费者的品牌联想和品牌延伸评估的可能影响。实验一用于检验来源于个体差异的不同解释水平（高与低）的被试,对于同一品牌是否产生不同形态（原型性与范例性）的品牌联想以及探查它们之间的相对数量关系。实验二采用2（解释水平：高vs.低）×2（契合类型：原型性契合vs.范例性契合）组内和组间因子混合设计,用于检验基于时间距离的解释水平是否调节契合类型对品牌延伸评估的影响关系。实验研究结果发现：在接触到品牌名称时,具有高水平解释倾向的消费者,将比低水平解释倾向的消费者,呈现更多的原型性联想;而具有低水平解释倾向的消费者,将比高水平解释倾向的消费者,呈现更多的范例性联想;在低水平解释条件下,消费者对范例性契合延伸产品的评估要好于对原型性契合延伸产品的评估;而在高水平解释条件下,消费者对原型性契合延伸产品的评估要好于对范例性契合延伸产品的评估。
유우인문경가관절여기해석수평상필배적신식、경험화사물,해석수평능구계통성지영향인문적판단여결책。본연구장해석수평시위중요적조절변량,탐사타대소비자적품패련상화품패연신평고적가능영향。실험일용우검험래원우개체차이적불동해석수평（고여저）적피시,대우동일품패시부산생불동형태（원형성여범례성）적품패련상이급탐사타문지간적상대수량관계。실험이채용2（해석수평：고vs.저）×2（계합류형：원형성계합vs.범례성계합）조내화조간인자혼합설계,용우검험기우시간거리적해석수평시부조절계합류형대품패연신평고적영향관계。실험연구결과발현：재접촉도품패명칭시,구유고수평해석경향적소비자,장비저수평해석경향적소비자,정현경다적원형성련상;이구유저수평해석경향적소비자,장비고수평해석경향적소비자,정현경다적범례성련상;재저수평해석조건하,소비자대범례성계합연신산품적평고요호우대원형성계합연신산품적평고;이재고수평해석조건하,소비자대원형성계합연신산품적평고요호우대범례성계합연신산품적평고。
Construal level theory posits that individuals construct different representations of stimuli in their environments, which vary in terms of the degree of abstraction. Individuals who use more abstract mental models construe stimuli with relatively simple, decontextualized, superordinate, and coherent representations that extract the gist from available information. In contrast, individuals who use concrete mental models construe stimuli with relatively complex, contextualized, subordinate, and incidental representations. Construal levels can be determined by situational or individual factors. Research have shown that psychological distance is a primary determinant of construal level, and construal level can also vary at the individual level with individuals having a chronic tendency toward different levels of construal. Construal levels influence individual’s judgement and decision making by a preference for information, experience, or events that match the individual’s abstract or concrete mindset. Recently, researchers have linked construal levels to important aspects of consumer behaviour, this research adds to this line of inquiry by examining the role of construal level in consumer response to brand association and brand extension evaluation. Study one examines the differences in consumer brand association （i.e., brand thoughts activated in consumers’ mind in encountering with the brand） as consumers shift their construal levels. The relative number of exemplars and prototypes evident in the free association task is analyzed, and the results show that consumers with high-level construal retrieve more prototypes of a brand than consumers with low-level construal, and consumers with low-level construal retrieve more exemplars of a brand than consumers with high-level construal. Study two examines the differences in consumer extension evaluation as consumers shift their temporal perspectives （near vs. distant future） by conducting a 2 （temporal perspective： near vs. distant future orientation） x 2 （fit type： prototype fit vs. exemplar fit） between subject factorial experiment. Repeated-measures ANCOVA is employed to assess the effects on extension evaluations, with temporal distance as between-subject factor and brand attitude as covariates. The results show that participants assigned to the distant future condition （with an extension launch expected in six months） evaluate a prototype fit extension more favourably than an exemplar fit extension, and the participants assigned to the near future condition （with an extension launch expected in one day） evaluate a exemplar fit extension more favourably than a prototype fit extension. The findings mean that construal level is an important determinant of brand association and a new moderator of the relationships between different perceived fit and brand extension evaluations. Construal level theory can provide integrated, elegant and simple explanation in consumer brand evaluation and response to branding strategy.