The Effect of Form-Function Semantic Unity on Evaluations of Products and Brands

While prior research has demonstrated the importance of product form and product function as independent antecedents of consumers' evaluations of products, the current research examines the effect of the interdependence between a product's form and function. Across three studies, we demonstrate that consumers prefer products whose form and function are perceived to be unified and provide evidence that this result obtains in part due to consumers' desire for order in the world around them. We also demonstrate that the effect is qualified by product knowledge and felt involvement such that when both are high, a relative preference for disunity emerges.