THE RELATIVE WEIGHTING OF POSITION AND VELOCITY IN SATISFACTION

Satisfaction with a desired outcome depends both on its position (i.e., the actual value of the outcome) and on its velocity (i.e., the change in the value). In a questionnaire study, we investigated factors that influence the relative weighting of position and velocity in satisfaction and found that the relative weight of velocity loomed larger when the outcome was (a) framed in terms of change (rather than in terms of overall position), (b) related to consummatory (rather than instrumental) behaviors, or (c) internally (rather than externally) controlled. The findings suggest that the relative importance of position and velocity in satisfaction varies, depending on the condition and nature of the outcome. © 1991, Association for Psychological Science. All rights reserved.