Cue-recognition effects in the assessment of movie trailers

摘要

In the past, the role of recognition in inferential choice has often been investigated within the recognition heuristic (RH) that focuses on the recognition of options. In the present study Ⅰ investigate instead whether the recognition of a cue influences the assessment of movie trailers. This extension of the RH to cues provides important and more comprehensive insights into recognition in everyday decision-making. One hundred and eighty-eight participants were randomly assigned to one paired comparison and had to decide which of two movie trailers (Epic and The Croods) was about to become more successful. AH pairwise comparisons consisted of the same two unknown animated movie trailers. They differed merely from a fade-in of a short unknown or known movie title (e.g., "From the makers of Ice Age"). The central objective of this study was to test whether or not the participants judged movie trailers to be more successful and likeable when associated with the famous movie title and thus decide on the basis of the recognition of this cue. In fact, it was shown that people in this context often revert to this recognition cue. However, the prerequisite for this effect was that the faded-in title should be appropriate for the trailer. Furthermore the preference of animated films was identified as a key factor. Volunteers who liked animated films less, often decided due to the recognized cue. Moreover it is shown that participants increasingly use the recognized cue to decide if they specify a preference and high success for this faded-in movie.