Super-Size Me: An Unsuccessful Preregistered Replication of the Effect of Product Size on Status Signaling

Abstract

Dubois, Rucker, and Galinsky (2012, Experiment 1) found that consumers view larger-size options as a signal of higher status. We conducted a close replication of this finding (N = 415), and observed a nonsignificant effect in the opposite direction (small vs. large product size: d_original = 1.49, 95%CI [1.09, 1.89], d_replication = 0.09 95%CI [-0.15, 0.33]; medium vs. large: d_original = 0.89 95%CI [0.52, 1.26], d_replication = 0.11 95%CI [-0.13, 0.34]; small vs. medium: d_original = 0.62 95%CI [0.26, 0.98], d_replication = -0.01 95%CI [-0.25, 0.23]). We discuss potential reasons for this unsuccessful replication as well as implications for the status-signaling literature in consumer psychology.