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Contractions in language impact your choices: How shortened words in ads affect what you choose and how you think

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Photo by Eileen Pan (external link, opens in new window)  on Unsplash (external link, opens in new window) 

We often use contractions in everyday language, like saying "they're" instead of "they are." It's not just common in regular talk but also in marketing and ads. Surprisingly, there hasn't been much research on how these contractions impact how we process information. This study aimed to fill that gap and figure out how using contractions influences what we choose and how we judge things. In three different experiments, researchers looked into how contractions affect what products people choose and how they judge them. The results were interesting. When contractions were used, people tended to go for products that were more practical (feasible) rather than those that were just desirable. It's like using contractions made people think more about the practical side of things. Moreover, contractions had different effects based on the features of the products. For products with secondary features (things that are extra but not essential), people were more likely to choose them when contractions were used. On the other hand, when it came to COVID-protection behaviors, like wearing masks or social distancing, using contractions made people less likely to follow these behaviors, especially if they were considered practical. To explain this, the researchers connected their findings to something called "Construal Level Theory," suggesting that contractions influence how we think about things, making us focus more on the practical aspects. So, what does this mean for marketing? It suggests that using contractions can affect what products people choose and how they think about them, offering a new angle for marketers to consider. Chan, E. Y., & Meng, Y. (2023). They’re vs They Are: Contractions influence product choice and judgments (external link, opens in new window) . Journal of Business Research, 156, 113463.