The Relationship between Task Complexity and Information Search: The Role of Self-Efficacy Jing Hu Hofstra University Bruce A. Huhmann New Mexico State University Michael R. Hyman New Mexico State University ABSTRACT Prior research suggests the complexity of a product choice task is inversely related to the extent of consumers’ external information search. The resource-matching perspective holds that cognitive effort (e.g., external information search) is greatest when available cogni- tive resources (e.g., as determined by self-efficacy) match the cogni- tive demands of a task (e.g., perceived task complexity). Within a brand-choice context, the relationship between self-efficacy and extent of information search appears nonmonotonic. In support of the resource-matching perspective, consumers conduct the most extensive information search when their self-efficacy matches per- ceived task difficulty. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Consumers’ information searches in preparation for choosing brands have long interested marketing scholars (Katona & Mueller, 1955). Several mar- keting studies have focused on external information search determinants, such as task complexity (often operationalized as the number of brand Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 24(3): 253–270 (March 2007) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/mar.20160 253