The formation of a ‘high price - high quality’ inferential belief : a study among young buyers of mobile phones and notebooks

Abstract

Previous research has focused on identifying factors that influence buyers who uses price as a cue to quality. However, little work has been done to explain the the ory of as sociation and the psychological processes behind the buyer’s price-quality as so ciation. This study examines the process from a psychological perspective and examines some anteced entvariables in the formation of a price-quality inferential belief. Data is collected for two product categories among a sam ple of young respondents. Results show that (1) the link between perceptual and inferential belief about the price-quality association is stronger when the perceptual belief is based on direct purchase experience rather than on advertising; (2) buyers that lack direct purchase experience of a product category tends to rely on advertising to form their inferential belief. Implications are discussed, limitations are noted and directions for future research are indicated.