Product Packaging and Product Evaluation: An Individual Difference Approach¹

Abstract

In Study I, with actual product quality held constant high self‐monitors, compared to low self‐monitors, more favorably evaluated products that they believed came from attractive packages. In Study 2, high and low self‐monitors evaluated a perfume sample that came from a rather attractive bottle or from a significantly less attractive bottle. In addition, for some, the perfume was quite pleasant smelling; for others, it was less pleasant smelling. Regardless of its actual fragrance, high self‐monitors evaluated the perfumes from the attractive bottle more favorably than the perfumes from the less attractive bottle. Low self‐monitors evaluated the pleasant‐smelling perfume more favorably than the less pleasant‐smelling perfume, regardless of from which bottle it came.