People

What influences consumers to make product decisions alone versus with household partners? This research examines how consumers’ preference for solo or joint decision-making with household partners varies between product acquisition and disposal stages. Ten pre-registered studies demonstrate that for many household products, consumers are more likely to choose joint (vs. solo) decision-making with household partners for disposal than for acquisition. This asymmetry occurs because disposal (vs. acquisition) increases perceptions of the potential for infringement on a household partner’s rights, which increases the desire for clarity about a partner’s product valuation and thus the choice of joint (vs. solo) decision-making with one’s partner. The authors identify three process-consistent boundary conditions, wherein this acquisition-disposal asymmetry is mitigated: (1) when the product cannot be used by one’s partner, (2) when considering decisions with non-household members (e.g., non-cohabitating close friends) instead of one’s household partner, and (3) when the product’s price exceeds the household’s typical budget. Moreover, the authors discuss implications of this acquisition-disposal asymmetry for consumer well-being and marketing strategies, including its potential to cause delays in disposal decisions relative to acquisition decisions. This research contributes to understanding household decision dynamics and identifies a novel contributor to overaccumulation of household products.