(Dis)satisfied with your choices? How to align online consumer’s self-awareness, time pressure and self-consciousness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, this study applies social presence theory to explore the influences of public self-awareness on consumers’ choice inconsistency and post-choice satisfaction. Second, the authors investigate how time pressure moderates the effects of self-awareness on choice inconsistency and post-choice satisfaction so that online sellers can better align their marketing strategies. Design/methodology/approach This research consists of two studies. Study 1 conducted a 3 (self-awareness: public/private/control) × 2 (time pressure: high/none) experiment, and 311 online participants were recruited to explore the influence of public self-awareness and time pressure. Study 2 used a 3 (self-awareness: public/private/control) × 2 (time pressure: high/no) × 2 (self-consciousness: high/low) quasi-experiments, and the authors used 652 online participants to examine the effect of self-awareness, time pressure and public self-consciousness on choice inconsistency and post-choice satisfaction. Findings The results indicate that publicly self-aware consumers under high time pressure show greater inconsistency than those under no time pressure. Also, people with higher public self-consciousness exhibited higher choice inconsistency and post-choice satisfaction in public self-awareness situations than those in private self-awareness and control conditions. Research limitations/implications To generalize the results, this study should be replicated using more heterogeneous populations in diverse regions and cultures, as well as other product categories. Practical implications This study explores the implications of evoking self-awareness during online consumption and the online purchase process by observing the moderating effect of self-consciousness and time pressure. The findings provide insights to marketing practitioners who seek to increase their companies’ competitive advantage and profits through effective online manipulations of consumers’ self-awareness. Originality/value Extant research does not address how time pressure affects the relationships among public self-awareness, choice inconsistency and post-choice satisfaction. In addition, prior research only focused on public self-awareness in customer consumption. This study bridges these gaps and has implications for e-commerce, consumer behavior and relationship marketing research fields.

Experiencing default nudges: autonomy, manipulation, and choice-satisfaction as judged by people themselves

Criticisms of nudging suggest that nudges infringe on decision makers’ autonomy. Yet, little empirical research has explored whether people who are subjected to nudges agree. In three between-group experiments (N = 2083), we subject participants to contrasting choice architectures and measure experiences of autonomy, choice-satisfaction, perceived threat to freedom of choice, and objection to the choice architecture. Participants who received a prosocial opt-out default nudge made more prosocial choices but did not report lower autonomy or choice satisfaction than participants in opt-in default or active-choice conditions. This was the case even when the presence of the nudge was disclosed, and when monetary choice stakes were introduced. With monetary choice stakes, participants perceived the threat to freedom of choice as slightly higher in the nudge condition than in the other conditions, but objection to the choice architecture did not differ between the conditions. Taken together, our results suggest that default nudges are less manipulative and autonomy-infringing than sometimes feared. We recommend that policymakers include measures of choice experiences when testing out new interventions.

Destination Management: The Influence of Local Food

This study investigates tourist attitudes to local food on destination choice, travel motivation, satisfaction and perceived object-related and existential authenticity. Additionally, the mediating effects of authenticity on these relationships is also examined. A quantitative survey (n = 368) by questionnaire was conducted. Data was analysed using factor analysis and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to show that tourist attitudes to local food influence destination choice, satisfaction and perceptions of object-related and existential authenticity. Furthermore, it was found that existential authenticity, rather than object-related authenticity had a greater impact on the relationships between tourist attitudes to local food and destination choice, travel motivation and satisfaction. A clear and influential relationship between tourists’ attitudes to local food and travel behaviour was found. Tourists want an existential authentic local food experience where they can be actively involved. Destinations should emphasise unique regional specialities and highlight the experiential value of local food.

And How Would That Make You Feel? How People Expect Nudges to Influence Their Sense of Autonomy

ObjectiveWhile nudges are increasingly utilized in public policy settings, their potential threat to autonomous choice is the topic of heated debate. Regardless of the actual effects of nudges on autonomy, the mere perception of nudges as autonomy threatening by the general public or policy makers could negatively influence nudge acceptability. The present online studies examined how people expect (different) nudges to affect their perception of autonomy.MethodsIn the first study (N = 455), participants were presented with a hypothetical choice that employed either a default nudge, direct persuasion, or no persuasion, to steer to the desired choice. The presented influence technique was explained before participants reported their expected autonomy, as well as their expected choice satisfaction. Study 2 (N = 601) involved a replication of Study 1 with an additional social norm nudge condition. In Study 3 (N = 750), the explanation of how choice had been influenced was omitted.ResultsWhile participants expected the default nudge to violate autonomy (Study 1), they had no such expectations for social norm nudges (Study 2). Omitting the explanation that most people are unaware of nudges influencing their choice, reduced the negative impact of nudges on expected autonomy (Study 3).ConclusionEffects of nudges on expectations of autonomy differ by type of nudge. Negative expectations are primarily driven by the explanation that decision makers are often unaware of nudges.

Associations between client choice in food pantries and client food security status

This study determined the relationship between client choice and client food security status, and how the relationship was affected by household type. Data was obtained from the Voices for Food Project. Among the various goals for that project, was the goal of guiding pantries to transition from a traditional food distribution system to a client-choice system where clients could select the kinds of foods they preferred. The results showed that pantry client choice satisfaction was significantly associated with greater food security status (X2 (1, N = 685) = 8.81, p = .003). There were no differences between household type and choice satisfaction (X2 (1, N = 685) = 0.81, p = .366 However, differences existed between household type and food security status (X2 (1, N = 685) = 22.56, p [less than] .001), the households with children were less likely to be food secure. In predicting food security by client choice satisfaction, being satisfied and being older resulted in significantly higher odds for food security (choice satisfaction OR: 3.20; 95 [percent] CI: 1.54, 7.54, age OR: 1.02; 95 [percent] CI: 1.01, 1.04). Whereas, having children in a household yielded lesser odds for food security (households having children OR: 0.52; 95 [percent] CI: 0.34, 0.81). The sex of householder did not play a role in predicting household food security based on choice satisfaction (sex OR: 1.01; 95 [percent] CI: 0.69,1.49). Provision of client choice in food pantries could improve client food security status and could be added support to governmental food assistance programs targeted at addressing food insecurity in the nation.

Experiencing Default Nudges: Autonomy, Manipulation, and Choice-Satisfaction as Judged by People Themselves

Critiques of nudging suggest that nudges infringe on decision makers’ autonomy. Yet, little empirical research has explored whether people who are subjected to nudges agree. In three online between-group experiments (N = 2083), we subject participants to different choice architectures and measure their experiences of autonomy, choice-satisfaction, perceived threat to freedom of choice, and objection to the choice architecture. Participants who received an opt-out nudge made more prosocial choices but did not report more negative choice experiences compared to participants in opt-in default or active choice conditions. This was predominantly the case even when the presence of the nudge was made transparent to participants, and when choice stakes were increased. Our results suggest that defaults are less manipulative and autonomy-infringing than sometimes feared. Policy-makers should include measures of choice experiences when testing out new nudges.