Temple researcher Elina Hur found that consumers are more likely to commit to their choices when they feel their search efforts have paid off.
Elina Hur, assistant professor of marketing at Temple University's Fox School of Business, found that consumers are more likely to commit to a choice when they feel their search efforts have paid off.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
You’ve found the apartment that checks every box. The car has everything you’re looking for. The product has the best reviews. So why is it still so hard to commit?
New research from Temple University’s Fox School of Business suggests the answer may have less to do with the choice itself and more to do with how consumers encounter it.
In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Elina Hur, assistant professor of marketing at the Fox School of Business, examined how option-presentation order—the sequence in which consumers encounter choices—affects decision-making. Across multiple studies spanning digital and traditional retail settings, Hur and her co-authors found that consumers feel more committed to a preferred option when they encounter it later, rather than earlier, in a curated set of choices.
“Finding the best product and committing to it are two different things,” Hur said. “People need to feel that their effort was worthwhile in order to feel that they found the right option.”
People need to feel that their effort was worthwhile in order to feel that they found the right option.
Elina Hur
assistant professor of marketing at the Fox School of Business
The reason, Hur said, comes down to what researchers call perceived effort payoff, or the feeling that the time and energy spent searching ultimately paid off.
The findings challenge conventional assumptions about consumer decision-making. Businesses often strive to show customers the most relevant option as quickly as possible, believing that doing so increases the likelihood of a purchase. Hur’s research suggests that in certain situations, allowing consumers to explore options before arriving at a preferred choice may actually strengthen their commitment to the decision.
As part of her early research process, Hur conducted phone interviews with real estate professionals to better understand how they guide clients through major purchasing decisions. Those conversations helped her compare how marketers think about the search process with how consumers actually experience it.
One of the study’s most surprising findings was how universally relatable the challenge proved to be.
“When I talked to friends and people around me, almost everyone had stories about struggling to find the right product,” Hur said. “Many people felt they had missed out on a good option because they weren’t ready to commit.”
For businesses, the findings offer practical insights into how customer experiences can be designed more effectively. Rather than focusing solely on helping consumers identify a preferred option as quickly as possible, marketers may benefit from creating experiences that encourage exploration and engagement.
The effect is particularly relevant in situations where consumers are presented with a curated set of options rather than an overwhelming number of choices. Examples include apartment hunting, car shopping and other high-involvement decisions where professionals often help narrow the field with curated selections.
At the same time, Hur emphasizes that these strategies should be used responsibly. In situations involving safety information, urgent decisions or other high-stakes circumstances, delaying critical information could be counterproductive. Instead, she sees the research as an opportunity to better understand how consumers make decisions and how organizations can create experiences that genuinely support them.
That goal aligns closely with Hur’s broader research agenda at Temple.
“My research is focused on improving consumer welfare,” she said. “It’s not just about increasing sales. It’s about helping consumers make better decisions; feel heard; and feel that they’re not wasting their time, money or energy.”
As a faculty member at the Fox School, Hur hopes her research helps future business leaders think more deeply about the relationship between businesses and consumers.
Looking ahead, she plans to continue exploring how rewards, recognition and motivation influence consumer behavior and long-term decision-making.
For consumers, the findings offer a simple reminder: Commitment to a decision doesn’t always come from finding the right choice immediately; it often comes from feeling that the journey to get there was worthwhile.