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In this dissertation, I explore determinants, and some consequences, of persistence in consumer search. Many prominent thinkers have considered the problem of search in terms of optimal solutions, or their heuristic approximations. In the following research, I explore persistence in search not merely as a function of economic calibration, but rather as an outcome determined by both cognitive and motivational processes. I provide evidence that normative models of search are insufficient to explain the behavior of those whom I study. Instead, I show cases in which search persistence is a function of prior behavior (Chapter 1) and prior beliefs (Chapter 2). I further propose a cognitive model of price search behavior (Chapter 3) that can predict many of the observed behaviors that would be considered mistakes in normative price search frameworks (e.g., variance neglect, reference point effects, local contrast effects).

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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1992. / Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Robert O. McClintock. Dissertation Committee: Robert P. Taylor. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-157).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1995. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-204).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1995. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-204).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pittsburgh, 1993. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-141).

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The Internet has become a very important tool in the modern life and a useful channel for people to find information. Although there is a lot of information in the internet, it does not mean that Internet users can always find what they really need and want. The difficulty for Internet users is not that they can¡¦t find out the information but that too much information exists. Therefore, good search tools that can help them find useful information become critical to productivity improvement. The purpose of this research is to investigate how people use different tools on the Internet to find information they are looking for. Three factors were examined: task characteristics, search tools, and user characteristics. Experiments were conducted on tasks designed to show different characteristics. Four task types featured by different uncertainty and equivocality levels and two Internet search tools were used in the experiment. Users were asked to use different tools for solving the assigned tasks to see whether their satisfaction differs under different settings. The results indicate that the effect of task types is not significant. That is, user satisfaction of using search engines is similar under different circumstances. Using the search tool itself is the key factor that affects the level of satisfaction. Therefore, the most important thing for internet user to find useful information is to adopt a proper search tool.

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