ARE THE PARTS BETTER THAN THE WHOLE - THE EFFECTS OF DECOMPOSITIONAL QUESTIONS ON JUDGMENTS OF FREQUENT BEHAVIORS

The author investigates whether using a decompositional question (whic h decomposes an event into subcategories and elicits frequencies at th e subcategory level) is effective in increasing the accuracy of freque ncy judgments elicited in consumer surveys. Results of a study show th at the decompositional question makes the process of eliciting frequen cies less effortful and enhances the accuracy of the elicited frequenc ies for frequent, irregular behaviors (i.e., occurring at sporadic int ervals), but not for frequent, regular behaviors. Mediational analyses confirm that these effects manifest because the decompositional quest ion triggers an episodic recall strategy, which enhances the efficienc y of the judgment formulation process for irregular behaviors but inte rferes with the normal process for regular behaviors.