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

Burak Tunca; Ignazio Ziano; Xu Wenting

doi:10.15626/MP.2020.2538

Authors

Burak Tunca Department of Business Administration, Lund University School of Economics and Management
Ignazio Ziano Grenoble Ecole de Management, Univ Grenoble Alpes ComUE
Xu Wenting Grenoble Ecole de Management, Univ Grenoble Alpes ComUE

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15626/MP.2020.2538

Keywords:

status, inferences, product size, replication, open science

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.

Author Biographies

Burak Tunca, Department of Business Administration, Lund University School of Economics and Management

Burak Tunca is a senior lecturer at the Department of Business Administration, Lund University School of Economics and Management. His research focuses on consumer behavior.
Xu Wenting, Grenoble Ecole de Management, Univ Grenoble Alpes ComUE

Xu Wenting was a student at Grenoble Ecole de Management during the academic year 2018-19.