Assortment presentation, fashion expertise, and visualization

This thesis explores the mechanism through which the assortment structure of fashion products influences consumers' evaluation and behavioral response, addressing a fundamental gap in the literature on how consumers derive meaning from structured choice environments. Although research has highlighted the effects of different forms of assortment, the psychological mechanism that explains why presentations based on integrated sets lead to more favorable reactions has not been elucidated. The examination of this mechanism was conducted by experimental study in two groups, comparing a presentation based on integrative sets with a taxonomic presentation of products. Ease of visualization, the role of fashion expertise, evaluation, and behavioral intent were measured, while the role of fashion expertise as a potential moderator was explored. The results show that integrative set presentations significantly enhance visualization, which in turn fully conveys the effect on value and behavioral responses. This cognitive process proves to be the central mechanism through which consumers understand and evaluate product sets, while fashion expertise does not alter the intensity or nature of effects, suggesting that visualization is a basic, universal cognitive function. On a theoretical level, thesis consolidates findings from mental imaging, cognitive fluency and the organization of product sets, proposing a single mechanism that explains how consumers construct mental representations in choice environments. On a practical level, it documents that the adoption of forms of presentation, which facilitate mental simulation, can substantially enhance engagement and market predisposition.