To understand how users of online marketplaces process market signals in their decision making and whether this depends on if the good is of high or low involvement. The paper employs a mixed methods approach. Study 1 draws on an analysis of interviews with online marketplace users using hypothetical eBay purchases as stimuli, understanding how users conceptualize specific market signals and whether their importance varies depending on the type of purchase (high versus low involvement good). Study 2 tests hypotheses derived from signaling theory, using an eye tracking experiment. Price and photographs act as “fast and frugal” signals for inclusion in consideration sets for low involvement purchases, but consumers deem them insufficient for high involvement purchases where high-cost signals that help establish seller credibility are far more salient. Users pay relatively greater attention to costly market signals, which are beyond sellers’ direct control, for high involvement goods. The paper offers insights for sellers regarding the presentation of quality cues and strategies online marketplaces can employ to reduce information asymmetry. Drawing on and extending signaling theory, the paper introduces and confirms hypotheses for understanding users’ attention to market signals when making purchase decisions on online marketplaces. It identifies how the degree of involvement of a product affects the processing of market signals.

中文翻译：

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用户对高参与度和低参与度商品的在线市场列表的处理

了解在线市场的用户在决策过程中如何处理市场信号，以及这是否取决于商品的参与度高还是低。本文采用了混合方法。研究 1 利用假设的 eBay 购买作为刺激对在线市场用户进行访谈分析，了解用户如何概念化特定市场信号以及这些信号的重要性是否因购买类型而异（高参与度与低参与度较好）。研究 2 使用眼动追踪实验测试源自信号传导理论的假设。价格和照片作为“快速而节俭”的信号，可纳入低参与度购买的考虑范围，但消费者认为它们不足以用于高参与度购买，因为有助于建立卖家信誉的高成本信号更为突出。对于高参与度的商品，用户相对更关注昂贵的市场信号，而这些信号超出了卖家的直接控制范围。该论文为卖家提供了关于在线市场可以用来减少信息不对称的质量线索和策略的呈现的见解。本文借鉴并扩展了信号理论，介绍并证实了一些假设，用于了解用户在在线市场上做出购买决策时对市场信号的关注。它确定了产品的参与程度如何影响市场信号的处理。