Consumer learning strategies for new product: The role of knowledge

Although analogy and mental simulation have been identified to be learning strategies that facilitate the comprehension of new product, the differences between consumers have received little attention. In fact, consumers´ abilities to understand and represent a new product are structured and constrained by their prior knowledge. Moreover, different levels of prior knowledge influence on consumers´ ways of information searching and processing differently. The aims of this study are, therefore, (1) to analyze the reasons why we should take consumer prior knowledge into account; (2) to discuss the roles of knowledge in two learning strategies and (3) to summarize and specialize in mechanism of new products´ uncertain information in mental simulation learning. Finally, it puts forward a conceptual framework and propositions.