Comparison of Paired Choice Alternatives and Choice Conflict

Approach-approach and avoidance-avoidance choice conflicts arise from an independent evaluation of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the features of the choice alternatives. The conflicts can also be determined by the manner in which the features are evaluated and highlighted by the comparison of the choice alternatives. Two such comparison-for-choice effects are addressed. The first is the identification of shared and unique features of the alternatives by means of a feature-matching comparison process. The second involves political choice. Acting in synergy, negative and positive political advertising campaigns can focus the choice on either the bad features or the good features of competing candidates. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.