The Influence of Categorical Attributes on Choice Context Effects

This article documents the influence of categorical attributes on choice context effects. We demonstrate that the asymmetric dominance effect is attenuated by the introduction of a unique categorical feature in the competing option, while the tendency to prefer a middle option is not significantly affected. Our findings indicate that the presence of an important/salient categorical attribute facilitates “editing out” of the asymmetrically dominated option, weakening the asymmetric dominance effect. Further, when initial category-based elimination is enforced, the asymmetric dominance effect and the tendency to prefer a middle option are both mitigated.