Although many prior studies have proposed possible explanations for the causes of the attraction effect, the causes have not yet been clearly identified. Noting that the attraction effect is a context effect, this study attempted to explain the attraction effect in terms of the attribute range of the choice set and the frequency of alternatives. Additionally, considering consumer decision-making processes, this study sought to examine the effects of heuristics and product category familiarity on the attraction effect. The hypotheses of this study were: first, when a relatively inferior alternative is added to the choice set, the attraction effect increases as the attribute range expands, whereas when an asymmetrically dominated alternative is added, the attribute range does not affect the attraction effect; and second, when a relatively inferior alternative is added, the attraction effect is influenced by the frequency of alternatives, and the magnitude of the attraction effect is moderated by familiarity. Contrary to expectations, the results showed that when an asymmetrically dominated alternative was added, the attraction effect increased as the attribute range expanded, whereas when a relatively inferior alternative was added, the attraction effect was generally not affected by the attribute range. However, in this case, a tendency for the attraction effect to increase with expanding attribute range was found among consumers with a moderate level of familiarity. Meanwhile, when a relatively inferior alternative was added, the attraction effect was influenced by the frequency of alternatives as predicted, and the magnitude of the attraction effect was moderated by familiarity. These findings were discussed in terms of decision-making theory and information processing theory, and the implications and limitations of the study were presented.