关键词: 二手交易, 建构水平, 属性聚焦, 交易角色, 出价差值

Abstract: Second-hand goods are characterized by a complex interplay of advantages and disadvantages. This study delves into the intriguing question of how the psychological phenomenon of construal level influences the focus that sellers and buyers devote to these attributes, ultimately impacting the pricing of transactions. We proposed and proved a focus-separation effect between sellers and buyers: Through a series of empirical investigations encompassing strategy backtracking (Study 1), attribute coding (Study 2), attribute recognition (Study 3), and attribute focus (Study 4) within the realm of second-hand transactions, we revealed that sellers and buyers with lower construal levels were more likely to reach second-hand transactions. Lowering one’s construal level initiates a divergence in the attentional priorities-Sellers became more attuned to the negative attributes of the traded goods, whereas buyers shifted their attention toward positive attributes, leading the smaller pricing difference. Furthermore, we observed that the impact of construal level on pricing is notably more pronounced among sellers than buyers. In Study 1, we backtracked real estate agent’s negotiation strategies and actual second-hand house transactions. It was found that the lower construal level strategy the real estate agents adopted, the more extensive the seller’s pricing reduction range and the buyer’s pricing increase range. The pricing change effect induced by the construal level was slightly stronger among sellers than buyers. In Study 2, we encoded sellers’ and buyers’ thoughts about trading items based on the dimensions of construal level and attribute focus. We observed that sellers had higher construal levels than buyers and paid more attention to the positive attributes of goods. The relationship between construal level and attribute focus was moderated by the trading role (seller vs. buyer). In Study 3, we measured sellers’ and buyers’ construal levels by Behavior Identification Form and provided four positive and negative product attributes. After the transaction, we tested their recognition accuracy of the two types of attributes, which reflects their attribute’s focus. It was shown that higher construal level separated the attribute concerns of sellers and buyers, making sellers pay more attention to the positive attributes and making buyers pay more attention to the negative attributes of goods, and thus increasing the pricing difference between the two sides. In Study 4, we manipulated the focus of sellers and buyers on positive and negative attributes of goods by comparing the attributes of traded goods with those of other goods. It revealed that the effect of construal level on seller-buyer pricing changed with the manipulation of attribute focus: making sellers with higher construal levels pay more attention to negative attributes and making buyers with higher construal levels pay more attention to positive attributes can also reduce seller-buyer pricing difference. These findings extend the construal level theory, reveal the cognitive mechanism underlying the effect of construal level on trading pricing, and provide cognitive negotiation strategies for second-hand transactions.

Key words: second-hand trading, construal level, attribute focus, trading role, bid difference