Volume 6 (2025) - Issue 1 (Aug 2025)

MSRP as a behavioral anchor: Evidence from choice-based scenarios in the high-end GPU market

Stephen Ye ^*

Miller Place High School, Miller Place, New York 11764-3750, United States
^*Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 2025-5-25 / Accepted: 2025-8-21 / Published: 2025-8-23

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.37906/isteamc.2025.01

Abstract This study investigates the complex psychological and ideological dimensions of consumer behavior in the discrete GPU (graphics processing unit) market, with a focus on the role of MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) as a cognitive anchor. Drawing on survey data and a mix of quantitative and qualitative consumer responses, the research examines how perceived fairness, moral reasoning, and market ideology influence willingness to pay (WTP), particularly under conditions where price exceeds or undercuts MSRP. The findings reveal significant elasticity in consumer demand, shaped not only by performance-to-price considerations but also by emotional reactions to corporate pricing strategies. Notably, while MSRP is often rejected as an indicator of intrinsic value, many consumers nonetheless adhere to it as a normative benchmark when it is viewed as favorable. This adherence is contingent on broader narratives about greed, justice, and historical pricing. A disconnect emerges between consumers’ professed support for free-market principles and their disdain of profit-maximizing behavior, particularly when pricing is perceived as exploitative. The study challenges the predictive power of neoclassical economic models by highlighting contradictions between rational utility-maximizing behavior and emotionally charged market activity. These findings suggest the need for revised behavioral models that incorporate moral and ideological biases as central determinants of consumer valuation. Implications for pricing strategy, product positioning, and consumer expectation management are discussed.

Research Areas: Psychology, Computing

Keywords: Consumer behavior, MSRP (Pricing anchor), Moral and ideological biases, Technology