Purpose: This study aimed at exploring the product choice tendency differences between the consciousness and unconsciousness of goal orientation when product attributes is perceived to be compatible with the goal orientation. Research design, data and methodology: Empirical study used a 2 (goal conscious vs. unconscious) × 3 (hedonic vs. performance vs. reliability attribute) between-subjects design and one control group. To verify hypotheses, χ²-test was conducted to 320 questionnaire data answered by undergraduate students of Jiangxi Normal University in China. Results: First, consumers under unconscious condition showed a higher product choice consistency based on compatibility between hedonic (performance) attribute of the product and their hedonic (performance) promotion goal-orientation than those under the conscious condition. Second, product choice effects of compatibility between reliability attribute of the product and prevention goal orientation were not significantly different between consumers’ consciousness and unconsciousness of their prevention goal orientation. Conclusions: Marketers of ‘under dog’ should try to develop and deliver the product attributes different from the attributes of ‘top dog.’ And the ‘top dog’ marketers should help their customers to avoid the conflicts by developing the environment of inducing their goal orientation unconsciously. Brand marketers should always pay attention to the reliability attributes concerned with the prevention goal orientation.

Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background and HypothesesDevelopment
    2.1. Compatibility
    2.2. Goal orientation and its functions
    2.3. Goal conflicting
    2.4. Moderation roles of conscious versusunconscious goal orientation in choosing product
3. Empirical Study
    3.1. Research object selection
    3.2. Preliminary Survey
    3.3. Empirical Study
4. Empirical investigation
    4.1. Demographic Analysis Results
    4.2. Results of Testing Hypotheses
5. General Discussion
    5.1. Research Summary
    5.1. Implications and limitations
References

• Nak-Hwan CHOI(Department of Business Administration, Jeonbuk National University)
• Fei CHEN(Jeonbuk National University) Corresponding Author