in a series of experiments, julio sevilla and claudia townsend showed that manipulating the space between…

in a series of experiments, julio sevilla and claudia townsend showed that manipulating the space between products in store displays can influence consumers views of those products. participants in several of the experiments regarded the same products in the same (generic) retail settings as significantly more valuable when the product - to - space ratio was low than when it was high. in one of the experiments, sevilla and townsend arranged the same jewelry with different levels of intervening space at an upscale retailer (tiffany & co.) and a relatively inexpensive retailer (forever 21). the result of this experiment suggests that a store context associated with inexpensive products may moderate the effect sevilla and townsend observed in their other experiments.\nwhich finding, if true, would most directly weaken the researchers conclusion?\na at both tiffany & co. and forever 21, participants judged jewelry spaced far apart to be less valuable than jewelry spaced close together, but the difference in perceived value was significantly greater at tiffany & co. than at forever 21.\nb when jewelry was spaced far apart, participants judged the jewelry at tiffany & co. to be more valuable than the jewelry at forever 21, but when jewelry was spaced close together, participants judged the jewelry at tiffany & co. to be less valuable than the jewelry at forever 21.\nc at tiffany & co., participants judged jewelry spaced far apart to be substantially more valuable than jewelry spaced close together, but at forever 21, participants judged jewelry spaced far apart to be only slightly more valuable than jewelry spaced close together.\nd participants judged jewelry spaced far apart at tiffany & co. to be similar in value to jewelry spaced far apart at forever 21, but participants judged jewelry spaced close together at tiffany & co. to be more valuable than jewelry spaced close together at forever 21.

in a series of experiments, julio sevilla and claudia townsend showed that manipulating the space between products in store displays can influence consumers views of those products. participants in several of the experiments regarded the same products in the same (generic) retail settings as significantly more valuable when the product - to - space ratio was low than when it was high. in one of the experiments, sevilla and townsend arranged the same jewelry with different levels of intervening space at an upscale retailer (tiffany & co.) and a relatively inexpensive retailer (forever 21). the result of this experiment suggests that a store context associated with inexpensive products may moderate the effect sevilla and townsend observed in their other experiments.\nwhich finding, if true, would most directly weaken the researchers conclusion?\na at both tiffany & co. and forever 21, participants judged jewelry spaced far apart to be less valuable than jewelry spaced close together, but the difference in perceived value was significantly greater at tiffany & co. than at forever 21.\nb when jewelry was spaced far apart, participants judged the jewelry at tiffany & co. to be more valuable than the jewelry at forever 21, but when jewelry was spaced close together, participants judged the jewelry at tiffany & co. to be less valuable than the jewelry at forever 21.\nc at tiffany & co., participants judged jewelry spaced far apart to be substantially more valuable than jewelry spaced close together, but at forever 21, participants judged jewelry spaced far apart to be only slightly more valuable than jewelry spaced close together.\nd participants judged jewelry spaced far apart at tiffany & co. to be similar in value to jewelry spaced far apart at forever 21, but participants judged jewelry spaced close together at tiffany & co. to be more valuable than jewelry spaced close together at forever 21.

Answer

Brief Explanations:

The researchers' conclusion is that a store context associated with inexpensive products may moderate the effect (space - product ratio affecting perceived value). To weaken this, we need to show that the store context (expensive vs inexpensive) does not moderate the effect.

  • Option A: Shows that the difference in perceived value (due to space) is greater at the upscale (expensive) store. This actually supports the idea that the store context (expensive store) has an effect (since the difference is larger), so it does not weaken.
  • Option B: Compares the value of jewelry in different stores based on spacing. But it does not address whether the store context (inexpensive store) moderates the space - value relationship.
  • Option C: At the upscale store (Tiffany & Co.), the difference in perceived value (due to space) is large, and at the inexpensive store (Forever 21) the difference is small. This supports the researchers' conclusion that the store context (inexpensive store) moderates the effect (since the effect is less in the inexpensive store), so it does not weaken.
  • Option D: Shows that when the products are spaced far apart (same space condition), the value perception is similar across stores. But when spaced close together, the upscale store's jewelry is seen as more valuable. This indicates that the store context (inexpensive store) does not moderate the space - value relationship (because for the far - apart spacing, there is no difference based on store), which weakens the researchers' conclusion.

Answer:

D. Participants judged jewelry spaced far apart at Tiffany & Co. to be similar in value to jewelry spaced far apart at Forever 21, but participants judged jewelry spaced close together at Tiffany & Co. to be more valuable than jewelry spaced close together at Forever 21.