Political candidates and other "phantoms:" Consumer choice in changing markets

14.08.08 - 18:01 ... source : University of Minnesota

... Contacts: Rebecca Monro, Carlson School, (612) 626-7940, rmonro@umn.eduRyan Mathre, University News Service, (612) 625-0552MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 8/11/2008 ) -- U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton may do more for U.S. Senator Barack Obama than Ralph Nader did for Al Gore: she could give him an unintended boost. Clinton sought the presidency and then, unlike Nader, exited the race. New research from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management demonstrates that when an option enters and then leaves a market, the most similar remaining option -- in this case Obama -- stands to benefit. Whether it is political candidates or beer, health care plans or automobiles, when one attractive option becomes unavailable, people gravitate toward the most similar remaining option. In their paper "Could Ralph Nader's Entrance and Exit have helped Al Gore? The Impact of Decoy Dynamics on Consumer C ...» Next (HTML)