Romero and teammates clarify how to best share numeric information. They report that “Numerical information can be communicated using different number formats, such as digits (“5”) or number words (“five”). . . . Via six experimental studies, two online ad campaigns, and one large secondary dataset analysis, we find that digits, compared to number words, positively affect consumer behavior. We refer to this phenomenon as the number format effect. We further show that the number format effect occurs because consumers feel that digits (vs. number words) are the right way to present numerical information: digits lead to a sense of feeling right that then affects consumer behavior. Finally, we show that the number format effect is amplified when credibility of the source of information is low, and attenuated [reduced] when source credibility is high.”
Marisabel Romero, Adam Craig, Milica Mormann, and Anand Kumar. “Are ’10-Grams of Protein’ Better Than ‘Ten Grams of Protein’? How Digits Versus Number Words Influence Consumer Judgments.” Journal of Consumer Research, in press, https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae030