J BUSN RES 1990:21:69-90 69 The Impact of Choice Phase and Task Complexity on Consumer Decision Making Michael L. Ursic James G. Helgeson Gonzaga University This research examines the impact of choice phase and various dimensions of task complexity on choice heuristics. Choice phase was operationalized as quartiles of an individual’s decision process. Choice heuristics were determined by examination of subjects’ decision protocols. These protocols were coded in an objective, de- scriptive manner, and choice heuristics were determined by examination of code groupings that were established based on the internal logic of the code scheme used. It was found that more single attribute, across-brand elimination of alter- natives occurred in the early phases of a choice, while later choice phases displayed more within-brand, multiple-attribute, and overall brand evaluation. Of the various dimensions of complexity examined, the number of brands had the greatest impact on decision making in that it intensified the early elimination/attribute and later detailed evaluation/brand pattern. Introduction Consumers are subject to limitations in processing capacity and thus often use choice heuristics rather than complex internal calculations to make selections be- tween brands. A heuristic can be viewed as a rule of thumb in decision making. However, a more complex definition developed by Bettman (1979) is that a heuristic specifies how an evaluation for an alternative is developed, the choice criterion to be used among the alternatives, and the form of processing to be used. Consumer behavior literature has detailed many potential heuristics used in reaching a choice. Among them are the linear compensatory heuristic (Wilkie and Pessemier, 1973), the conjunctive heuristic (Wright, 1974), and the lexicographic semiorder heuristic (Pollay, 1970; Russ, 1971; Tversky, 1969). Other forms of choice heuristics are possible. In this study, we propose an alternative approach for examining consumer choice heuristics. There are a variety of ways to study choice heuristics, including correlational techniques where respondents may provide scale values for their beliefs or eval- Address correspondence to James G. Helgeson, School of Business Administration, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA 99258. Journal of Business Research 21, 69-90 (1990) 0 1990 Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc. 0148-2963/90/$3.50 655 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10010