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Being in the Right Place: A Natural Field Experiment on List Position and Consumer Choice

Author

Listed:
  • Novarese, Marco
  • Wilson, Chris M.

Abstract

By randomising the order in which new economics research papers are presented in email alerts and tracking economists’ subsequent download activity, this paper uses a natural field experiment to better understand the reasons why individuals show a disproportionate tendency to select items listed in top position. Using a novel method, the paper tests and rejects three common explanations regarding item order, choice fatigue and position as a quality signal. The paper then further demonstrates how the causes of top position effects vary significantly with list length, and points to some alternative explanations.

Suggested Citation

  • Novarese, Marco & Wilson, Chris M., 2013. "Being in the Right Place: A Natural Field Experiment on List Position and Consumer Choice," MPRA Paper 48074, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:48074
    as

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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/48074/1/MPRA_paper_48074.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    9. Tom Coupé & Victor Ginsburgh & Abdul Noury, 2010. "Are leading papers of better quality? Evidence from a natural experiment," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 62(1), pages 1-11, January.
    10. Michael R. Baye & J. Rupert J. Gatti & Paul Kattuman & John Morgan, 2009. "Clicks, Discontinuities, and Firm Demand Online," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(4), pages 935-975, December.
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    13. Baye, Michael R. & De los Santos, Babur & Wildenbeest, Matthijs R., 2016. "What’s in a name? Measuring prominence and its impact on organic traffic from search engines," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 44-57.
    14. repec:cup:judgdm:v:6:y:2011:i:4:p:333-342 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Baye, Michael R. & De los Santos, Babur & Wildenbeest, Matthijs R., 2016. "What’s in a name? Measuring prominence and its impact on organic traffic from search engines," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 44-57.
    2. Germano, Fabrizio & Sobbrio, Francesco, 2020. "Opinion dynamics via search engines (and other algorithmic gatekeepers)," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    3. Chen, Yanbin & Li, Sanxi & Lin, Kai & Yu, Jun, 2021. "Consumer search with blind buying," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 402-427.
    4. Daniel Feenberg & Ina Ganguli & Patrick Gaulé & Jonathan Gruber, 2017. "It’s Good to Be First: Order Bias in Reading and Citing NBER Working Papers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(1), pages 32-39, March.
    5. Fishman, Arthur & Lubensky, Dmitry, 2018. "Search prominence and return costs," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 136-161.
    6. Lusher, Lester & Yang, Wenni & Carrell, Scott E., 2023. "Congestion on the information superhighway: Inefficiencies in economics working papers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    7. Fabrizio Germano & Vicenç Gómez & Francesco Sobbrio, 2022. "Crowding Out the Truth? A Simple Model of Misinformation, Polarization, and Meaningful Social Interactions," CESifo Working Paper Series 10011, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Position Effects; Order Effects; Primacy Effects; Recency Effects; Choice Fatigue; Prominence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • L0 - Industrial Organization - - General
    • L00 - Industrial Organization - - General - - - General

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