Publications

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Recurring Goals and Learning
The Impact of Successful Reward Attainment on Purchase Behavior

Authors:

Xavier Drèze
Joseph C. Nunes

Publisher:

Journal of Marketing Research
June 2011, forthcoming

Abstract:

This research examines the impact of successfully attaining a goal on future effort directed at attaining the same goal. Using data from a major frequent flier program, we demonstrate empirically how success contributes to an increase in effort exhibited in consecutive attempts to reach a goal. We replicate the effects in a laboratory study that shows the impact of success is significant only when the goal is challenging. We also show how progress enhances perceptions of self-efficacy but successfully completing the task provides an added boost, supporting the notion that self-learning is the principle mechanism driving our results.