When is Consumer Desire Driven by Difficulty of Recall? The Effects of the Type of Information and Time Pressure

Abstract

Past research demonstrates that the difficulty of recalling past consumption of a preferred product influences desire through the use of the difficulty-of-recall inference. However, the analysis of boundary conditions is neglected. Across three studies, we examine the role of the type of information (semantic or episodic) and time pressure. Study 1 demonstrates that the difficulty of recalling past consumption influences desire positively when consumers recall semantic information. However, Study 2 shows that this influence is not replicated when consumers recall episodic information. Finally, Study 3 demonstrates that under time pressure, this positive influence is reestablished. Our results expand current knowledge about the role of processing difficulty of recall in consumer behavior.