Framing the deal

: the interaction of discount type, price level, and consumer self-control in shaping purchase intentions

Abstract

This study investigates how discount framing (percentage vs. monetary) affects customer purchase intention, with product price level and trait self-control being considered potential moderators. An online experiment employing a between-subjects design (N = 320) randomly assigned participants to evaluate fictitious promotional offers for either a low-priced (shampoo) or high-priced (smartphone) product. The findings indicated a strong significant influence of discount type on purchase intention. This effect was further tempered by the product price: at low price points, percentage-based reductions resulted in much higher purchase intentions than monetary discounts. In contrast, trait self-control and its interactions did not exhibit any statistically significant effects. These findings suggest that situational variables, specifically price point and discount type, have a greater influence on consumer responses than stable psychological factors. This study contributes to the price framing literature by identifying the conditional strength of percentage discounts and challenging the practical influence of self-control under typical purchasing settings. From a managerial perspective, the findings underscore the significance of tailoring promotional techniques to align with product attributes and contextual factors. Future studies should explore emotionally charged or high-pressure situations, when self-regulation may play a larger role. Overall, this study contributes to a more contextualized knowledge of discount effectiveness and offers actionable insights for psychologically informed marketing strategy.

Date of Award	23 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Paulo Romeiro (Supervisor)