We suggest that consumers assess the taste of a food or beverage by comparing the human values symbolized by the product to their human value priorities. When there is value-symbol congruency, they experience a better taste and aroma and develop a more favorable attitude and behavior intention; incongruence has the opposite effect. Participants in two taste tests were told the correct identity of a product or misinformed. Participants who endorsed the values symbolized by the product (that they thought they were tasting) evaluated the product more favorably. The implications for marketing strategy, self-congruity theory, and the assimilation effect are discussed. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Quantity can be described using perceptual units (e.g., bags, pieces) or standardized units (e.g., ounces, grams). Merely making perceptual units more salient in quantity description can increase perceived economic value. Even when the objective information and numerosity are kept constant, merely presenting the perceptual unit first (e.g., Lay’s Chips 14 snack bags, 14 oz. of chips in snack bags of 1 oz. each) increases willingness to pay compared to presenting the standardized unit first (e.g., Lay’s Chips 14 oz., 14 oz. of chips in snack bags of 1 oz. each). This occurs because perceptual units activate more experiential evaluations whereas standardized units activate more analytical evaluations. An archival study shows that retailers charge higher unit prices for products when perceptual units are salient in quantity description. Six preregistered experiments show that even when both units are available, merely increasing the attentional salience of perceptual units increases willingness to pay. The demonstration that the mere salience of experiential information can alter subjective value offers new insights into the psychology of market prices.

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