Reducing Satiation: The Role of Categorization Level

Abstract

Experiences generally provide less pleasure as we repeat them---they satiate. Although satiation lowers consumer welfare and limits the consumption of a marketer's product, researchers have identified few techniques to reduce satiation. This paper proposes that satiation depends on perceptions of repetition within a particular category of experiences. By subcategorizing episodes, people can slow the decline in enjoyment from additional consumption. Subcategorization focuses people's attention on aspects that differentiate the episodes, making generally similar episodes seem less repetitive and consequently less satiating. Four studies demonstrate this specificity effect for measures of concurrent and retrospective evaluations of enjoyment, the desire to continue a repeated experience, and predicted satiation.