Reactance to Recommendations: When Unsolicited Advice Yields Contrary Responses

Gavan J. Fitzsimons () and Donald R. Lehmann ()
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Gavan J. Fitzsimons: Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Box 90120, Durham, North Carolina 27708-9012
Donald R. Lehmann: Columbia Graduate School of Business, New York, New York 10027

Marketing Science, 2004, vol. 23, issue 1, 82-94

Abstract: Recommendations often play a positive role in the decision process by reducing the difficulty associated with choosing between options. However, in certain circumstances recommendations play a less positive and more undesirable role from the perspectives of both the recommending agent or agency and the person receiving the recommendation. Across a series of four studies, we explore consumer response when recommendations by experts and intelligent agents contradict the consumer's initial impressions of choice options. We find that unsolicited advice that contradicts initial impressions leads to the activation of a reactant state on the part of the decision maker. This reactance, in turn, leads to a behavioral backlash that results not only in consumers ignoring the agents' recommendations but in intentionally contradicting them.

Keywords: recommendations; intelligent agents; decision support systems; internet marketing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (105)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:23:y:2004:i:1:p:82-94

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