Hiding in the Crowd: Secrecy Compels Consumer Conformity

Manipulating Personal Salience: The Effects of Performance Expectations on Physical Positioning

Dongjin He, Yuwei Jiang and Gerald J Gorn

Journal of Consumer Research, 2022, vol. 48, issue 6, 1032-1049

Abstract: This research investigates how secrecy (i.e., a state in which people have an active intention to conceal information from others) affects individuals’ consumption behavior. Six studies reveal that making consumers’ secrets salient increases their tendency to conform in their consumption and show that this effect is driven by the desire to avoid social attention. This effect is moderated by consumers’ perceived self-control capacity. This research uncovers a novel downstream consequence of secrecy on consumer behavior and provides insight into when conforming consumption can serve as a strategy to help consumers avoid unwanted social attention. This research has important practical implications concerning using notions of secrecy in marketing strategies and promoting conforming products.

Keywords: secrecy; social attention; attention avoidance; consumer conformity; self-control (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:48:y:2022:i:6:p:1032-1049.

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