Are "10 Grams of Protein" Better than "Ten Grams of Protein"? How Digits versus Number Words Influence Consumer Judgments.

The article focuses on the "number format effect," demonstrating that presenting numerical information in digits (e.g., "5") rather than number words (e.g., "five") positively influences consumer judgments and behavior across various contexts such as advertising, product reviews, nutritional information, and public health guidelines. This effect arises because consumers perceive digits as the normative and "right" way to present numbers, which creates a metacognitive sense of fluency or "feeling right" that enhances evaluations and intentions. The effect is stronger when the credibility of the information source is low and diminishes when source credibility is high. Evidence comes from six experimental studies, two online ad campaigns, and analysis of a large dataset of over 75 million Amazon.com reviews, showing that reviews with digits receive more helpfulness votes than those with number words. These findings have implications for marketers and policymakers in effectively communicating numerical information to consumers, especially in contexts of skepticism or low trust.