Abstract: In a promotion situation, consumers often encounter two kinds of discounts: absolute discount (For instance, the original price is RMB 299 Yuan, and the immediate reduction is RMB 69 Yuan.) and relative discount (For instance, the original price is RMB 299 Yuan, now it is sold at  a discount of 20%.). However, the existing research on the relative merits of the two kinds of discounts has not reached a consistent conclusion, leading to the lack of clear strategies for a businessman to choose the representation method of discount promotion, especially when consumers are in different types of consumption situations. In view of this, this paper explores the matching effect of consumption type and discount mode through four experiments based on the evaluability theory. First, the exploratory experiment 1A preliminarily verifies that more consumers choose absolute discount promotion advertisements in the material purchase situation whereas more consumers choose relative discount promotion advertisements in the experiential purchase situation, providing preliminary evidence for the matching effect between the purchase type and discount mode. Next, experiment 1B verifies the conclusion of experiment 1A again by laboratory experiments and changing the control and measurement methods, i.e., consumers have a higher purchase intention for the absolute discount target product in the material purchase situation. On the contrary, in the experiential buying situation, consumers have a higher purchase intention for relative discount, which further expands the external validity of the study. After that, laboratory 2 verifies that the degree of assessability is the mediating mechanism of the above matching effect. Finally, experiment 3 verifies the cognitive load state of the individual, i.e., the boundary condition for the existence of the effect. Specifically, the matching effect of the purchase type and discount mode only exists when consumers are in the state of low cognitive load, and the effect disappears when consumers are in the state of high cognitive load. This paper expands the relevant theories of purchase types, calculation comparison method, and evaluation mode, providing practical guidance for merchants to formulate discount promotion strategies.

Key words: discount presentation mode, purchase type, degree of assessability, cognitive load

摘要： 消费者在促销情境中经常会遇到绝对折扣（如原价299元，立减69元）与相对折扣（如原价299元，现20%折扣）两种折扣方式，但现有研究关于两种折扣孰优孰略并未得出一致性结论，这也导致商家在进行折扣促销表征方式选择上并未有明确的策略，尤其是当消费者处于不同的购买类型的消费情境时。有鉴于此，基于可评估性理论，通过4个实验探究消费类型与折扣方式的匹配效应。首先，通过探索性实验1A初步验证了消费者在物质购买情境中选择绝对折扣促销广告的比例更多，而在体验购买情境中选择相对折扣促销广告的比例更多，为购买类型与折扣方式的匹配效应提供初步证据。其次，实验1B通过实验室实验并更改了操控与测量方式再次验证了实验1A的结论，即消费者对于物质购买情境中的绝对折扣目标产品有更高的购买意愿；相反，在体验购买情境中，消费者对相对折扣具有更高的购买意愿，进一步拓展了研究外部效度。再次，通过实验室2验证了可评估性程度是上述匹配效应的中介机制。最后，通过实验3实验室实验验证了该效应存在的边界条件——个体的认知负载状态。具体而言，其购买类型与折扣方式的匹配效应只存在与消费者低认知负载状态时，当消费者处于高认知负载状态时，该效应消失。本文拓展了购买类型、计算比较方式以及评估模式的相关理论，也为商家制定折扣促销策略提供了实践指导。

关键词: 折扣方式, 购买类型, 可评估性程度, 认知负载