Revisiting individual choices in group settings: The long and winding (less traveled) road?

Abstract

This study revisits Ariely and Levav’s previous findings in relation to consumers’ need for variety when ordering (food or beverages) in a group setting. We examine how group opinion and unanimity can explain consumers’ individual choice in a group setting. We hypothesize that the relationship between individual choice and group opinion is nonmonotonic as it is moderated by the degree of unanimity around an alternative. We demonstrate this effect in two empirical studies. We show that choice patterns are curvilinear, with previous findings accurately reflecting only specific sections of the overall pattern of individual choices in a group setting.