Abstract
In this study, characteristics of a predominant research framework on which many consumer inference researches have been based were reviewed, and problems of the research framework and future research directions were examined through contrast of characteristics of consumer inference that have been studied in the prior research framework and those of real consumer inference pictured by protocol data. As a result, it became clear that this prior framework has considered consumer inference as an information processing based only on characteristic attribute dimension. Also, in this framework, important information processing (such as selection of inferred attributes and formation of schema about inter-attribute relationships) has been regarded as ad hoc assumptions which are set by researchers. By reason of these characteristics, consumer inference examined in the framework has been excessive controlled inference making. To study creative aspects of consumer inference, extension of the concept, research area, and research methodologies on consumer inference must be made.
