When buying a new car, people tend to look at both statistical information and case history information. Research shows that they tend to be more influenced by ____.
A)case history information-regardless of whether or not it is the first time they have purchased a car
B)statistical information-regardless of whether or not it is the first time they have purchased a car
C)case history information if it is the first time they have purchased a car, but statistical information if they have purchased cars in the past
D)statistical information if it is the first time they have purchased a car, but case history information if they have purchased cars in the past

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research in psychology and consumer behavior has shown that people are often more influenced by specific, vivid examples (case history information) than by abstract, statistical information, regardless of their prior experience with the product. This is due to the representativeness heuristic, where individuals judge the probability of an event by how much it resembles their existing stereotypes, rather than by considering statistical likelihood.

When Buying a New Car, People Tend to Look at Both