Influence of Price on Aspects of Consumers' Cognitive Process

Adaptation level theory was used to test whether advertised price and source credibility in an ad influence three components of consumers' cognitive process. Ss were exposed to print ads having 2 levels of price information for 2 competing products and 2 levels of source credibility. An advertised price generally had a greater effect on consumer involvement, cognitive responses, and behavioral intentions when source credibility was relatively high and the competing-product price vis-a-vis the advertised price was higher than when the opposite conditions prevailed. It is concluded that price information about competing products, as well as about source credibility, should be included as part of a theoretical framework that seeks to explain the effect of an advertised price on consumers' cognitive process. Future research avenues are noted.