Purpose Based on accessibility-diagnosticity theory, this paper aims to examine how and when packaging design complexity affects consumer purchase intention for multifunctional products. Design/methodology/approach A series of four studies was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. Study 1 tested the main effect of packaging design complexity on consumer purchase intention for multifunctional products. Studies 2a and 2b examined the mediating role of inferred corporate ability and ruled out alternative explanations. Study 3 verified the moderating role of processing style. Findings Complex (vs simple) packaging design enhances consumer purchase intention for multifunctional products. Inferred corporate ability mediates the effect of packaging design complexity on consumer purchase intention. The above effect is contingent on consumers’ processing style, such that complex packaging design can enhance consumer purchase intention via inferred corporate ability for holistic processors, but not for analytic processors. Originality/value This research enriches the influencing factors of multifunctional product selection and extends the studies of packaging design complexity on single-function products to multifunctional products. It also expands the application of the accessibility-diagnosticity theory and identifies the role of processing style in consumer decision-making of multifunctional products.
Geng et al. (2026) studied this question.