Rethinking uncertainty and risk in consumer research

In this dissertation I provide a critical review of past literature on uncertainty and risk in consumer research, and discuss opportunities for new cross-paradigm research. In Chapter 2 I review past literature on the relationship between the mating mindset and risk-seeking behavior and posit an alternative explanation that consolidates inconsistencies across past findings. Chapter 3 reviews a past research that suggests uncertainty leads to overestimation in long-term consumer budgets. I provide evidence to show that construal level theory may be more adequate in explaining this over-budgeting phenomenon. In Chapter 4 I discuss the potential impact of uncertainty on consumers cognitive capabilities, a relationship less considered in past literature. I show that while the feeling of uncertainty boosts ones ability to receive information, the newly received raw information may not be properly processed due to uncertainty-related anxiety.