Decision Making and Coping of Functionally Illiterate Consumers and Some Implications for Marketing Management
作者研究了功能性文盲消费者（即阅读和计算能力不足的消费者）的决策与应对策略，发现他们在认知偏好、决策启发法和应对行为上与识字消费者存在显著差异。研究以英语为第二语言的消费者和贫困但识字的消费者作为对照组。结果显示，功能性文盲消费者强烈偏好具体推理，过度依赖图形信息，这提示企业在广告、店内展示和产品定位中应重新考虑如何突出新产品的附加利益或现有产品的差异化特征。具体推理还影响优惠券和店内折扣的价格促销执行，因为许多消费者无法处理相关信息而避开折扣产品。此外，作者识别出复杂的应对机制，并发现功能性文盲消费者对关注其读写和计算能力缺陷的公司表现出忠诚，这揭示了针对这一群体开发不涉及价格折扣的忠诚度计划的潜力。
A study of the decision making and coping of functionally illiterate consumers reveals cognitive predilections, decision heuristics and trade-offs, and coping behaviors that distinguish them from literate consumers. English-as-a-second-language and poor, literate consumers are used as comparison groups. The strong predilection for concrete reasoning and overreliance on pictographic information of functionally illiterate consumers suggest that companies should reconsider how they highlight the added benefits of new products or the differentiating aspects of existing product offerings across channels such as advertising, in-store displays, and positioning. Concrete reasoning also has strong implications for the execution and presentation of price promotions through coupons and in-store discounts, because many consumers are unable to process the information and thus avoid discounted products. Finally, the elaborate coping mechanisms identified and the loyalty that functionally illiterate consumers display toward companies that are sensitive to their literacy and numeracy deficiencies reveal a potential for loyalty programs aimed at this population that do not involve price discounts.