�e Science of Extraordinary Beliefs

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J O U R N A L O F T H E A S S O C I AT I O N F O R C O N S U M E R R E S E A R C H

ISSUE EDITORS: PANKAJ AGGARWAL, LAUREN BLOCK, THOMAS KRAMER, ANN L. MCGILL

VOLUME 3, NUMBER 4

Authors who are concerned about the appropr iateness of a topic for th is i ssue are encouraged to send a 300-word abstract or an out l ine to paggarwal@rotman.utoronto.ca , lauren .b lock@baruch.cuny.edu, thomas.kramer@ucr.edu, or ann.mcgi l l@chicagobooth .edu. We would be happy to provide feedback.

Consumers’ thoughts and behaviors are often guided by a combination of beliefs that conform to the

principles of science, and those beliefs that might transcend the natural laws of science and that stand

apart from or are even at odds with science—i.e., “extraordinary beliefs.” For example, consumers

anthropomorphize brands, products, and concepts, seeing them as possessing at least some human

traits; they allow superstitions and magical thinking to guide their choices; they follow rituals, often

blindly and without much thought, and they spend, sometimes heavily, on products and services in the

hopes of curing their ills and improving their lives based on nonscientific evidence. The origins of

these beliefs may be traced to local cultures, religion, urban legends, cognitive processes, or even

accidents of history. Recognizing that accepted theories change over time and are culturally laden,

these beliefs may also reflect disputes about what constitutes, and who determines what counts as,

“legitimate science.” These extraordinary beliefs may sometimes result in maladaptive behaviors and

lead to consumer harm, as when people fall prey to fortune-telling fraudsters and take important

financial and other decisions based on such ‘predictions.’ Other times, adherence to extraordinary

beliefs results in adaptive, beneficial outcomes, as when magical thinking improves performance

through increased confidence and self-e�cacy. Consumers may apply these beliefs on their own

without any encouragement or support from marketers, or marketers may actively embolden and

facilitate observance of nonscientific rituals and beliefs. For instance, marketers actively encourage

consumers to see the humanity of their brands and products through design, advertising depictions,

and other brand actions (e.g., giving a product its own social media account). Marketers may defer to

consumer superstitions (e.g., skipping unit 13 in numbering apartments) or leverage them (e.g.,

o�ering courses in Feng-Shui or pricing products and services with lucky numbers higher than

equivalent options). Marketers may charge for goods (e.g., healing crystals) or services (e.g., past life

therapy), which may not be supported by scientific studies but which align with consumers’ intuitions.

(continued...)

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J O U R N A L O F T H E A S S O C I AT I O N F O R C O N S U M E R R E S E A R C H

(...continued)

The present publication is intended to explore these nonscientific, extraordinary consumer beliefs

in-depth. We welcome work on both the antecedents and consequences of these beliefs, from

multiple paradigms, and we are particularly open to research that integrates cognitive psychological

and cultural influences. Submissions may explore the origins of these beliefs and why they are so

pervasive in our everyday lives. Submissions may also address the extent to which consumers might

consider these beliefs, which are disparaged within one viewpoint, to be “legitimate” within a di�erent

perspective. Within research on the consequences of these beliefs, we encourage researchers to

address implications for consumer welfare around the reliance of such beliefs, with particular interest

in financial and medical outcomes. We also welcome research that explores cross cultural, cross

national, or cross demographic di�erences. Consistent with the mission of JACR, we are particularly

interested in work that uses field or archival data to explore patterns over time or to describe

emerging phenomena. We also invite research that falls under more traditional methodological

domains, such as ethnographic studies and experiments. Commentaries by industry or regulatory

experts and noted scholars from other disciplines with expertise in these areas are also welcome.

Several scholars who have produced ground-breaking research in these areas have already agreed to

provide their thought-provoking observations on the study of extraordinary beliefs. These Thought

Leaders will provide commentary for this JACR issue on the ideas presented within, the general state

of knowledge in their areas, and their unique perspectives on the past, present, and future study of it.

Dr. Nicholas Epley will contribute his perspectives on the psychology of anthropomorphism; Dr. Jane

Risen and Dr. Thomas Gilovich will discuss luck and tempting fate; Dr. Paul Rozin and Dr. Carol

Nemero� will address contagion and magical thinking, and Dr. Stuart Vyse promises insights into the

psychology of superstition. We are confident the presence of work by these Thought Leaders will

generate great interest in this issue of the Journal, ensuring accepted papers will be broadly read.

Some of the (possibly overlapping) topics that might be relevant to this issue include but are not

restricted to the antecedents, consequences, and mechanisms of anthropomorphism of brands and

products; magical thinking, inferences consistent with the laws of contagion or similarity, and other

beliefs that are not supported by contemporary scientific understanding of causation but which a�ect

consumer behavior; the operation of superstition in consumer choice, including beliefs in luck versus

chance; and consumer choice and evaluation of alternative medicine and faith healing.

DETAILSPapers should not exceed 8,000 words. Reviews will be conducted on a rolling basis using

double-blind peer review. Author guidelines may be found at the JACR home page at

www.journals.uchicago.edu/jacr. Manuscripts are to be submitted at www.editorialmanager.com/JACR.

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Authors who are concerned about the appropr iateness of a topic for th is i ssue are encouraged to send a 300-word abstract or an out l ine to paggarwal@rotman.utoronto.ca , lauren .b lock@baruch.cuny.edu, thomas.kramer@ucr.edu, or ann.mcgi l l@chicagobooth .edu. We would be happy to provide feedback.

INITIAL MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION DEADLINEDEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF FINAL MANUSCRIPTS

NOVEMBER 1, 2017 JULY 1, 2018