"Information Load" and Consumers

Da~a from ~n experimental study situation suggest that increasing amounts o ~ Inform~tlon cau,se consumers to divide their processing time among the pieces of information presented causing an apparent information overload, Simplified information enables more accurate identification of the objectively best brand but leaves subjects feeling dissatisfied and desiring more information, Availability of purchase-relevant information and its utilization by consumers has been a popular topic of discussion for several years, both with those interested in consumer behavior and with those in-volved in public policy. The notion from memory re-search that individuals face limitations on their ability to deal effectively with large amounts of information within a limited time period prompted concern from both advertisers and policy makers. Both are con-cerned with the amount of information which con-