Consumer Trends: Is it better to ask a novice than an expert?

A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research details findings that consumers who search for expert advice on a product may not be getting a clear picture of what the product can or cannot do. For the experiment, the researchers developed two theoretical gaming consoles that would have a list of features. They then got a group of people together and tested their level of expertise in video games. They then showed the experts and non-experts a list of features that each console had. Later they were tested on what the features of each console were. They threw in some trick questions, such as whether a console had a functional dvd-player or not when there had been nothing on the console sheet concerning the dvd functions of the consoles. Surprisingly, the experts brought in to provide details about the product had a harder time than others who were not as educated in how gaming systems worked. The researchers called this phenomenon false recall, and concluded that those who considered themselves experts would not question the legitimacy of their memories as much when it came to the subject they were experts in. Bottom line, it may be better to ask a novice rather than an expert when it comes to finding information about a product out.