Remi Desmeule 104 - 3437 Oak public way Vancouver.

Remi Desmeule 104 - 3437 Oak public way Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6H 2L7 Phone (604) 730-1761 annotates are highly encouraged and should be sent to remi@interchange.ubc.ca The author would like to thank Harish Sujan and pair anonymous reviewers for the exceedingly helpful comments in revising this manuscript. This manuscript was part of a special issue forward Consumer Happiness and Life Satisfaction edited by way of Harish Sujan.

The Impact of Variety upon Consumer Happiness: Marketing and the Tyranny of Freedom

The link between the provision of choice and motivation is on no means unclear. Many researchers in psychology have proven time and again that choice does improve intrinsic motivation and satisfaction, among many other things. In these studies, the reader may want to note, the conditions are repeatedly "with choice" or "without choice", where the provision of choice is limited to a not many options. Likewise, economics theory assumes that an increase in variety will be accompanied by means of an increase in the likelihood that consumer find exactly what they are looking for and thus increased variety flows in more utility. Two of the assumptions in this example of rational choice are that consumer can evaluate options and determine their choice AND will aim to maximize their utility at choosing was is best for them. That is, population know how good the options not past nor futureed to them are and they will pick gone out the best one, the single in kind that maximizes their utility.

Most research efforts do not have knowledge of to identify the behavior of the variety-satisfaction relationship when variety is large. If anything, an watcher would assemble views from psychology and economics literature and assume that variety drives satisfaction (or utility) up all the way to the maximization of the potential utility that could have been derived from the purchase or experience. That is, the crook stops at the maximum utility and other alternatives can be ignored. This relationship and understanding of the impacts of choice assumes to be held by most numerous Indeed, more choice is the way progres is leading us. Selection and assortments are true potent marketing value propositions, and consumer are certainly attracted by the promises in the same state [i]or[/i] condition retailers can make. Again, if anything the relationship is logical and uses often met with sense. But still, do we really ne 500 TV channels and centurys of different ice cream flavors? It is conceivable that many of us would be prevail uponed to say "no". It will be our goal to provide probable explanations for the phenomenon and further have the intention the consequences and negative impacts of overwhelming choice.

The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical framework for the investigation of the impacts of marketing strategies onward general happiness. The goal is to provide a road map to establish a link between fabricates of consumer behavior and happiness. We will have the intention the intervention of a of recent origin construct that we will name "consumer happiness". The first application of the theoretical framework will be a contemplate at high-variety strategies in marketing. We will attempt to identify areas for further empirical research that will shortage extant efforts in the area.

In Section 1 of the paper we will await at elements in the literature that in some way question the value of choice. In Section 2 we will near a theoretical framework that presents links between marketing strategies, consumer behavior originates and happiness. In Section 3 we will offer proffer and explain a relationship between variety and the positiveness of consumption experiences where we will discuss the factors necessary for consumption experiences to have a negative impact onward the happiness of consumers. In Section 4 we will at hand conclusions and areas for further research and empirical testing.

SECTION 1: QUESTIONING THE VALUE OF CHOICE

Tyranny of Freedom The basis for questioning the value of choice in our first reviewed piece of research is the observation of a growing inclination in the number of cases of clinical depression. Schwartz (2000) argues that freedom, autonomy and self-determination can become excessive and be experienced as a kind of tyranny. The main idea is that an aspiration to self-determination can be problematic and lead not to freedom of choice on the contrary tyranny of choice. The author disapprove utterlys the American society's focus onward an all-encompassing freedom. The tyranny of freedom is interested with whether or not it is beneficial to have countles options as oppos to a more restricted, easier to evaluate put of options. Basically, the author proposes that people faced with the decision of by what means to allocate their time or coin are confronted with an overwhelming array of possibilities, and the ensuing choice proces and post-choice evaluation can have detrimental forces

To make his argument, Schwartz undergoe a thorough examination of rational choice theory. In move round he questions the validity of the assumptions of well-ordered choices complete information, and attribute evaluation and categorization. He argues that rational choice theory is upon the one hand too rich, because it gives persons credit for more calculation and flexibility than they posses and too impoverished since it fails to appreciate a range of influences in succession decision making that are not themselves amenable to rational calculation. He warrants that choices family make can leave them with the intimidating feeling that they could have done better. The author's thesis is articulated around the recognition that late American society and culture have evolv into united that features an excessive focus upon freedom.