Abstract
Two experiments in human predictive learning explored the impact of cognitive context stimuli on the learned relationships between the CS (funeral products) and the (US) discount value as a key factor that affects consumers’ information processing. Experiment 1: two contexts and three products. The funeral product (X) was paired with differential high discounts (50%, 30% and absence), Product Z was paired with a fixed discount value (30%), both products were trained trial by trial in Context A. While product Y was presented without discount value in Context B. During the test, product (X, Y and Z) was presented in both Context A and a different but equally familiar context (B). Experiment 2 was equal to experiment 1 but the product Y was trained with differential low discount. Results of experiment 1 indicated that context-switch effects appeared only for products with differential discount value (DDV) when tested in a different context (B); while results of experiment 2 suggested that context-switch effects disappeared, when participants received DDV in both contexts of training (low and high value of discount). These results agree with the hypothesis that context-switch effects after DDV are mainly due to the formation of direct associations between context-discount and products. Suggesting that the DDV is a modulator mechanism which may be also responsible for these context switch effects. Results that have practical implications in consumer psychology and marketing for the adoption of discounts strategies for taboo products.