How High vs. Low Product Model Numbers Influence Product Judgments

Aim: This study investigates whether consumers’ product evaluations can be influenced by incidental numeric priming. Specifically, it examines whether a product's model number (high vs. low) influences consumer judgment, depending on their level of motivation to process information. Methods: Two experiments were conducted to test the impact of numeric model framing on consumer evaluations. A total of 228 undergraduate students participated across two studies (Study 1: n = 99, 74.7% male, mean age = 23.16; Study 2: n = 129, 73% male, mean age = 23.09). Participants were randomly assigned to view a product labeled with either a high or a low model number. Motivation was manipulated through task instructions to create conditions of heuristic (low motivation) and systematic (high motivation) processing. In the high-motivation condition, participants were told their responses would be reviewed by the product development team and influence real pricing, positioning, and branding decisions, whereas in the low-motivation condition, they were told the survey was for internal calibration only and their individual answers would not affect any product decisions. Measures included participants’ attitudes toward the product and their willingness to pay. Results: The results demonstrated that participants under low-motivation conditions were significantly more influenced by the product's model number, exhibiting assimilation effects in their evaluations. In contrast, participants with high motivation, who processed information more systematically, were less susceptible to the numeric anchor. These findings support the hypothesis that incidental numeric priming primarily affects consumers when they engage in heuristic rather than systematic processing. Conclusion: Incidental numeric priming through product model numbers can bias consumer evaluations, but only when consumers are not motivated to engage in deep, effortful thinking. This suggests that cognitive processing style is a critical moderator of numeric anchoring effects in product judgments. Recommendations: Marketers should carefully consider how product model numbers are presented. This is particular when targeting consumers in low-involvement or heuristic-driven contexts, such as online browsing or routine purchases. In such situations, numeric cues can serve as quick indicators of quality or product tier.