Dispensation-Unit Effect: The Effect of Dispensation Unit on Treatment Judgments
(A2026-133279)

AUTHORS

Alican Mecit, SKEMA Business School; Yangjie Gu, HEC Paris; Aradhna Krishna, University of Michigan

ABSTRACT

When individuals lack medical expertise, they use the number of dispensation units as a heuristic for treatment difficulty. Presenting treatment in more units with lower dosage per unit (e.g., six 100 mg pills vs. two 300 mg pills) signals greater treatment challenge, reducing perceived efficacy and value—the "dispensation-unit effect." Seven studies across diverse medical contexts (cholesterol, hypertension, insomnia, vitiligo, hair loss, respiratory conditions), medication formats (pills, powders, creams, syrups), and dispensing containers demonstrate this effect's robustness. The effect extends to education and is mitigated by diagnostic information. These findings have implications for healthcare communication, pharmaceutical packaging, and policy interventions.