Abstract
A multitude of studies on country of origin effects indicate that consumers hold stereotypes of foreign countries and these stereotypes are then used for product evaluation and purchase. While there is ample research that explored such an effect, little if any systematic research has explored either theoretically or empirically determinants of country of origin stereotype change or revision in response to new information. For example, when, how and why new product information affects country of origin stereotypes have not been fully investigated. To address this gap in the literature, this study seeks to explore the determinants of consumers’ country of origin evaluation. It contributes to both theory and practice by connecting country of origin research to research in social psychology on stereotype change. In the present research contribution, we investigate how country of origin stereotypes change in response to stereotype-disconfirming information. We draw on the sub-typing model of stereotype change, social judgment theory and the cognitive elaboration model to hypothesize that product information type; consumers level of involvement as well as the typicality of the information presented affect the degree to which consumers may revise the country of origin stereotype they hold.