搜索成本类型和数量对搜索意愿的影响研究

On the Effect of Search Cost Type and Number upon the Willingness to Search

传统的搜索理论认为搜索成本的减少会引起搜索行为的增加,这得到以往实验室研究的支持,却没有得到基于零售背景下现场实验研究的支持.基于文献回顾可知,实验室研究通常只涉及基于金钱的搜索,而零售背景下的搜索往往是基于时间的.为此,实验1和实验2分别采用循序搜索任务和非循序搜索任务试图探讨人类对待搜索过程中金钱和时间2种成本变化导致的搜索意愿的变化趋势,结果表明:人类对金钱成本的变化较时间成本的变化导致的搜索意愿的变化更强,这可能是当搜索成本涉及花时间而不是花金钱时,被试在做搜索意愿决策时更倾向于忽视搜索成本的信息.

It is suggested in search theories that a decline in search costs increases search behavior.The relationship has been well supported by prior experimental research but not by studies conducted in retail settings.According to our review of the literature,it is illustrated that this discrepancy might be driven by the fact that prior experiments typically involve money-based search whereas actual search in retail settings is usually time-based.So,in two studies we use sequential search task and non-sequential search task,respectively,in order to explore that Currency of search moderate the effect of search costs.The results show that participants spend money on search,a decrease in search costs has a significant effect on search decisions but,when they spend time on search,a decrease in search costs either has a relatively weak effect（Experiment 1） or no effect at all（Experiment 2）,it means that insensitivity to one kind of search incentive（increase in search payoffs） complement those of the first two studies that showed insensitivity to another kind search incentive（decrease in search costs）,when the currency is time rather than money.