{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T11:51:23Z","timestamp":1791287483418,"version":"4.1.0"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.177273.1","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791244800000}},{"DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.177273.2","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791244800000}}],"reference-count":26,"publisher":"F1000 Research Ltd","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791244800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["f1000research.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["F1000Res"],"abstract":"<ns3:p>This study aimed to clarify the role of psychological pricing strategies, specifically fractional pricing, Decimal Point, price line size, and price line color, in guiding the customer buying behavior of Al-Salam chain stores in Kirkuk Governorate, through their combined dimensions of cognitive response, emotional response, and purchasingThe research problem stemmed from the lack of awareness among the management of Al-Salam stores in Kirkuk Governorate regarding the impact of these strategies on consumer purchasing behavior. Psychological pricing is supposed to be a tool for maximizing sales and acquiring the largest possible number of customers. Therefore, to achieve the objective and address the research problem, the descriptive-analytical approach was adopted. The study was based on two main hypotheses, which sought to determine the correlation and influence between psychological pricing strategies, represented by their dimensions (fractional pricing, price intervals, price line size, and price line color), and guiding consumer purchasing behavior. To collect and analyze the data, a questionnaire was designed for this purpose and distributed to 400 customers of Al-Salam chain stores in Kirkuk Governorate. (340) questionnaires were returned, and among these questionnaires, (288) questionnaires were valid for statistical analysis, as all of their items were answered and no item was left unanswered. The valid questionnaire data formed the basis for reaching a set of results, which proved the existence of a strong correlation and influence of psychological pricing at the micro level, represented by (fractional prices, price interval, price line size, and price line color), and at the macro level in directing the customer\u2019s purchasing behavior with its aggregate dimensions, represented by (cognitive response, emotional response, and purchase).<\/ns3:p>","DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.177273.3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T10:54:10Z","timestamp":1791284050000},"page":"855","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12688\/f1000research.crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Role of Psychological Pricing Strategy in Customer Purchasing Behavior"],"prefix":"10.12688","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Asst. Prof. Dr. Sawsan","family":"Ibrahim Rajab","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Kirkuk Polytechnic College Mosul Nineveh Governorate Northern Technical University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"MOHAMMED","family":"SATWAN AMHAMMED","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hawija Technical College Mosul Nineveh Governorate Northern Technical University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2560","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","first-page":"37-46","article-title":"The Role of Promotional Pricing in Tourism Marketing Crises from the Perspective of Workers in Tourism Establishments: A Case Study of Lattakia Tourist Hotel.","volume":"37","author":"R Nassour","year":"2015","journal-title":"Tishreen University Journal for Research and Scientific Studies -Economic and Legal Sciences Series."},{"key":"ref3","first-page":"731-791","article-title":"The Role of Brand Image as a Moderating Variable on the Relationship between Psychological Pricing Policies and Online Shopping Behavior: An Applied Study on Consumers of Global Sportswear Brands in Egypt.","volume":"2","author":"R Alsayida","year":"2021","journal-title":"Scientific Journal of Financial and Commercial Studies and Research."},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"133-174","article-title":"Managing Consumption Priorities and its Relationship to Family Economic Security in Light of Psychological Pricing from the Perspective of the Housewife.","volume":"34","author":"A Salim","year":"2018","journal-title":"Egypt J Home Econ."},{"key":"ref6","first-page":"186-212","article-title":"Diagnosing the Dimensions of Marketing Creativity: An Exploratory Study of the Opinions of a Sample of Retailers in Al-Wazir Detergent Manufacturing Company in Kirkuk Governorate.","volume":"4","author":"M Amhamed","year":"2024","journal-title":"NTU Journal for Administrative and Human Sciences."},{"key":"ref7","first-page":"1-41","article-title":"The role of psychological pricing in influencing the perceived mental image of the brand: An applied study on fast food restaurants (a field study).","volume":"43","author":"I Sadiq","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Adm Res."},{"key":"ref9","first-page":"62-73","article-title":"The Impact of Pricing on Consumer Buying Behavior in Saudi Arabia: Al-Hassa Case Stud.","volume":"8","author":"H Al-Salamin","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eur J Bus Manag."},{"key":"ref10","first-page":"1-45","article-title":"The Impact of Psychological Pricing Policy on Consumer Behavior: Field Study on Asir Region.","volume":"30","author":"A Al-Talidi","year":"2020","journal-title":"The Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Electronic Journal."},{"key":"ref12","first-page":"270-283","article-title":"The Impact of Taxation Policies on Consumer Purchasing Decision.","volume":"9","author":"A Rosha Ahmad Hama","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of University of Garmian."},{"key":"ref13","first-page":"77-140","article-title":"The effect of psychological pricing strategies on the purchasing decision of the Egyptian housewife.","volume":"37","author":"M Al-Bardan","year":"2025","journal-title":"Arab Journal of Research in the Fields of Specific Education."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3522-3535","DOI":"10.1108\/BFJ-09-2020-0847","article-title":"Psychological Pricing in Online Food Retail.","volume":"123","author":"J Hillen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Br. Food J."},{"key":"ref16","first-page":"83-106","article-title":"The Impact of Product Characteristics on the Purchase Decision of Smartphones: A Study of A Sample of Smartphone Users in the City of M\u2019Sila.","volume":"4","author":"S Yatish","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Business and Trade Economics."},{"key":"ref18","first-page":"188-211","article-title":"Visual Identity in Newspaper Website Design: Sports Websites as a Model.","volume":"22","author":"M Al-Dakhili","year":"2018","journal-title":"Arab Journal of Media and Communication Research."},{"key":"ref20","first-page":"100-140","article-title":"The Impact of E-Marketing on Saudi Consumer Behavior (A Case Study of the Community of Unaizah Governorate).","volume":"2","author":"M Abdulrasoul","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Human and Administrative Sciences Technology."},{"key":"ref21","article-title":"Electronic Advertising and its Impact on the Consumer Behavior of Internet Users: A Field Study in Algeria, University of 8 May 5491- Guelma.","author":"A Khalifi","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref22","first-page":"1-44","article-title":"The Impact of Interaction with Social Media on Millennial Consumer Behavior.","volume":"39","author":"S Farid","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Adm Res."},{"key":"ref23","first-page":"1-17","article-title":"The Impact of Using Influencer Marketing on Consumer Purchasing Behavior: An Applied Study on the Beauty Industries.","volume":"46","author":"W Saud","year":"2023","journal-title":"Arab J Manage."},{"key":"ref24","first-page":"76-80","article-title":"Factors affecting consumer buying behavior.","volume":"2","author":"N Ramya","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Appl. Res."},{"key":"ref26","first-page":"130-134","article-title":"Consumer Buying Decision Process Toward Products.","volume":"2","author":"S Qazzafi","year":"2019","journal-title":"International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development."},{"key":"ref29","first-page":"261-280","article-title":"E-marketing and its impact on changing consumer habits and behavior (an analytical study).","volume":"16","author":"K Mohammed","year":"2024","journal-title":"Al Kut J Econ Adm Sci."},{"key":"ref31","first-page":"577-591","article-title":"The Impact of Electronic Tourism Marketing on the Behavior of the Modern Tourist Consumer.","volume":"1","author":"W Karim","year":"2020","journal-title":"Al-Bishr Econ J."},{"key":"ref32","first-page":"11-31","article-title":"Understanding Consumer Behavior and Factors Affecting Purchase Decision Making.","volume":"43","author":"A Zabaleh","year":"2024","journal-title":"Al-Bahith J."},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2310552","DOI":"10.1080\/23311975.2024.2310552","article-title":"Impact of sales promotion on consumer buying behavior in the apparel industry.","volume":"11","author":"M Mishra","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cogent Business & Management."},{"key":"ref34","first-page":"25-35","article-title":"Psychological Pricing Strategies: A Critical Review Of Its Effects On Brand Perception And Consumer Behaviour.","volume":"28","author":"K Rashmi","year":"2026","journal-title":"IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM)."},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103952","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jretconser.2024.103952","article-title":"The effects of price framing and magnitude of price differences on perceived fairness when switching from static to variable pricing.","volume":"81","author":"P Alnes","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services."},{"key":"ref36","first-page":"20-28","article-title":"The Impact of Sensory Marketing on Consumer Buyingn Behavior: Primary Study \u2013 Starbucks \u2013 Lebanon.","volume":"13","author":"M Kheireddine","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Logistics Management."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-032-15820-8_111","volume":"659","author":"R Alekri","year":"2026","journal-title":"Enhancing Business Efficiency Through Technology. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control."}],"container-title":["F1000Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v3\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v3\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v3\/iparadigms","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T10:54:13Z","timestamp":1791284053000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v3"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]]},"references-count":26,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12688\/f1000research.177273.3","relation":{"has-version":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.12688\/f1000research.177273.2","asserted-by":"subject"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.12688\/f1000research.177273.1","asserted-by":"subject"}]},"ISSN":["2046-1402"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2046-1402","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Indexed","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v3#article-reports","order":0,"name":"referee-status","label":"Referee status","group":{"name":"current-referee-status","label":"Current Referee Status"}},{"value":"10.5256\/f1000research.210210.r523273, George Spais, Hellenic Open University, Patras, 22 Sep 2026, version 2, indexed","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v2#referee-response-523273","order":0,"name":"referee-response-523273","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"<b>Sawsan Ibrahim Rajab<\/b>; \n<i>Posted: 22 Sep 2026<\/i>; \n<b>Dear Dr. George Spais,<\/b> We would like to express our deepest gratitude and sincere appreciation for the exceptional time, effort, and thorough academic care you invested in reviewing the second version of our manuscript. Your highly constructive, precise, and rigorous feedback has been invaluable in elevating the scientific quality, methodological clarity, and empirical accuracy of our research. We have taken all your principal concerns with the utmost seriousness. In this third version (Version 3), we have executed substantial revisions to address every single comment point-by-point, including rectifying statistical transpositions, completely updating the theoretical framework with genuine, foundational, and contemporary literature (2024\u20132026), and clarifying our data protocols based on local field constraints. We sincerely hope that these rigorous improvements meet your high academic standards and demonstrate our absolute commitment to scientific excellence. Thank you once again for your invaluable guidance, which has tremendously reshaped and strengthened this paper. Best respectful regards, \n<b>Dr. Sawsan Ibrahim Rajab (Corresponding Author) Northern Technical University, Kirkuk Polytechnic College, Iraq.<\/b>  \n<b>Point-by-Point Response Table<\/b> \n<b>1. Evaluation Status &amp; The Point-by-Point Requirement<\/b>  \n<b>Reviewer\u2019s Concern:<\/b> The reviewer noted that the previous response did not provide a clear, point-by-point explanation of the revisions or indicate where specific changes were made. \n<b>Author\u2019s Response:<\/b> We sincerely apologize for this previous omission. We have now structured this comprehensive point-by-point response document to transparently track and detail every single adjustment made, cross-referenced with exact manuscript locations.     \n<b>2. The Statistical Value (\u03b2 = 1.091) and Table Inconsistencies<\/b>  \n<b>Reviewer\u2019s Concern:<\/b> The reviewer questioned the statistically impossible coefficient \u03b2 = 1.091 in Table 5 and pointed out shifting construct labels. \n<b>Author\u2019s Response:<\/b> We are deeply grateful for your sharp eye in spotting this critical error. There was an inadvertent column transposition during the layout drafting of Table 5. Mathematically, \n<b>1.091<\/b> is the \n<b>Unstandardized Regression Coefficient (B)<\/b> (which naturally yields the correct Critical Ratio reported: 1.091 &divide; 0.135 = 3.117). Conversely, the actual \n<b>Standardized Regression Weight (SRW \/ \u03b2)<\/b> for Fractional Prices is \n<b>0.909<\/b>, which is fully valid and compliant (&lt; 1.0). \n<b>Revision Made:<\/b> In Version 3, Table 5 and its accompanying explanatory text have been thoroughly corrected by swapping the transposed values into their proper columns. All construct labels, numerical figures, and mathematical references have been strictly synchronized across the paper.   \n<b>3. Causal Language vs. Cross-Sectional Design<\/b>  \n<b>Reviewer\u2019s Concern:<\/b> The reviewer objected to the persistence of causal language despite the study\u2019s cross-sectional survey design. \n<b>Author\u2019s Response:<\/b> We completely agree with this methodological critique. Given the cross-sectional nature of our survey, proving absolute causality is inappropriate. \n<b>Revision Made:<\/b> We have thoroughly audited the text and removed all definitive causal verbs (e.g., \n<i>causes, determines, proves<\/i>). They have been strictly replaced with association-based and predictive vocabulary (e.g., \n<i>influences, predicts, is associated with<\/i>) to align the prose with a cross-sectional framework.   \n<b>4. Theoretical Framework and Contemporary Research<\/b>  \n<b>Reviewer\u2019s Concern:<\/b> The framework was found to be largely descriptive with insufficient engagement with contemporary international research. Reference relevance and accuracy also require substantial correction. \n<b>Author\u2019s Response:<\/b> This was an excellent recommendation. We have significantly updated the theoretical framework by integrating verified, highly relevant literature to ground our visual and behavioral constructs. \n<b>Revision Made:<\/b> We have integrated \n<b>5 genuine and highly cited international studies<\/b> into the literature framework under our sequential numbering style. These include empirical models on sales promotions and purchasing behaviors \n<b>(Mishra et al., 2024; 33)<\/b>, cognitive heuristics of charm pricing and brand perception \n<b>(Rashmi &amp; Thomas, 2026; 34)<\/b>, the effects of price framing and magnitude imagery on perceived fairness \n<b>(Alnes &amp; Haugom, 2024; 35)<\/b>, visual pricing cues and sensory marketing behavioral determinants \n<b>(Kheireddine &amp; Saleh, 2025; 36)<\/b>, and strategic implementations of psychological pricing heuristics published under Springer Nature \n<b>(Alekri et al., 2026; 37)<\/b>. The section has been transformed from a descriptive layout into a critical, comparative discussion that directly supports our empirical findings.   \n<b>5. Data Availability Statement Controversy<\/b>  \n<b>Reviewer\u2019s Concern:<\/b> The statement claimed &quot;no new data was created&quot; despite collecting original questionnaires, while underlying data remained unavailable. \n<b>Author\u2019s Response:<\/b> We apologize for the administrative drafting confusion in the previous statement. Original questionnaire data were indeed collected; however, they cannot be publicly deposited due to severe field constraints and strict ethical promises made to local participants in Iraq. \n<b>Revision Made:<\/b> The \n<b>Data Availability Statement<\/b> has been entirely rewritten in the manuscript to transparently reflect the reality of our field barriers. Due to heightened local anxieties surrounding identity theft, written records, and data misuse within the research environment in Iraq, participants strictly refused written signatures and only provided \n<b>oral informed consent<\/b> conditioned upon absolute anonymity and the post-analysis destruction of raw response files. We have retained the corresponding author\u2019s official NTU institutional email within the statement for institutional verification.   \n<b>6. Prose, Grammar, and References<\/b>  \n<b>Reviewer\u2019s Concern:<\/b> The reviewer found the prose repetitive, grammatically weak, and reference accuracy in need of correction. \n<b>Author\u2019s Response:<\/b> We have taken strict measures to address this. \n<b>Revision Made:<\/b> The manuscript has undergone a rigorous academic line-editing and proofreading process to eliminate structural redundancy and streamline the prose. Furthermore, the entire bibliography has been cross-checked, corrected for typographical precision, formatted into the journal's sequential numbering style, and directly linked with active DOI URLs to ensure digital verifiability.","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v3#referee-comment-17229","order":1,"name":"referee-comment-17229","label":"Referee Comment","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"10.5256\/f1000research.210210.r523274, Ahmed Hammadi, University of Fallujah, Fallujah, 29 Sep 2026, version 2, indexed","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v2#referee-response-523274","order":2,"name":"referee-response-523274","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"10.5256\/f1000research.210210.r523275, Munther Khuder Yaqoob, Marketing Management, University of Mosul, Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, 30 Sep 2026, version 2, indexed","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-855\/v2#referee-response-523275","order":3,"name":"referee-response-523275","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work","order":4,"name":"grant-information","label":"Grant Information"},{"value":"This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.","order":0,"name":"copyright-info","label":"Copyright"}]}}