Country of Origin as a Stereotype: Effects of Consumer Expertise and Attribute Strength on Product Evaluations

This research identifies consumer expertise and the type of attribute information as moderating the effects of country of origin on product evaluations. When attribute information was unambiguous, experts based their evaluations on attribute strength, whereas novices relied on country of origin. When attribute information was ambiguous, both experts and novices used country of origin in evaluations. Also, experts and novices used country of origin differently in evaluations. Experts used country of origin to selectively process and recall attribute information, whereas novices used it to differentially interpret subsequent attribute information. The findings are discussed within the framework of stereotyping.