Formation of Price Perception Through Window Displays: The Roles of Turning Bias, Product Placement, and Objective Temporality

ABSTRACT Window displays are crucial in capturing consumer attention. However, the connection between how these displays guide attention and influence price perception remains underexplored. This study investigates how turning bias and product placement along the vertical axis (hereafter, vertical product placement) jointly guide attention and shape price perception, including under the influence of objective temporality, through eight experiments. Findings reveal that turning bias directs attention to specific vertical locations (Studies 1a–1d), wherein a clockwise bias increases focus on lower display sections, whereas a counterclockwise bias shifts attention upward. Vertical product placement further influences perceived price magnitude (Studies 2a and 2b), a relationship mediated by attention selection and engagement. Objective temporality moderates this effect, such that slower temporal progression amplifies differences in price perception between upper and lower placements, whereas faster temporal progression reduces these differences (Studies 3a and 3b). Therefore, this study contributes by shedding light on the subtle ways in which display orientation and objective temporality combine to shape consumer attention and price perception.