Prior literature indicates that hedonic alternatives are preferred under a rejection task, whereas utilitarian attributes are preferred under a choice task when a decision is simple and conscious. However, there is evidence supporting a preference for hedonic alternatives in a choice task when the decision is both complex and conscious. We propose that the extent to which a decision is preceded by conscious or unconscious information processing may alter the preference for utilitarian versus hedonic options in a choice or rejection task as a function of the complexity of the information being processed. Our findings indicate important qualitative departures from the extant literature when complex decisions are preceded by unconscious processing as a function of the decision task at hand. In the context of complex decisions, we find a preference for utilitarian alternatives in choice tasks and a preference for hedonic alternatives in rejection tasks, but only when information is processed unconsciously.
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