Abstract
Every day, we learn about others’ decisions from various sources. We perceive some of these decisions as choices and others as rejections. Does the mere perception of another’s decision as a choice versus as a rejection influence our own behavior? Are we more likely to conform to another’s decision if we view it in one way or the other? The current research investigates the social influence of decision frames. Eight studies, including a field study conducted during a livestreaming event hosted by an influencer with over 1.5 million followers, find that people are more likely to conform to another’s decision if it is perceived as a rejection than if it is perceived as a choice. This effect happens because consumers are more likely to attribute another’s decision to product quality as opposed to personal preference, when consumers perceive another’s decision as a rejection than as a choice. The inference about quality versus personal preference in turn increases conformity. This research bridges the existing literatures on decision framing, social influence, and perceptions of quality and personal preference, and it offers important implications for marketers and influencers.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 363–381 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Journal of Consumer Research |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Copyright The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.Keywords
- framing effect
- choice versus rejection
- social influence
- conformity
- attribution
- quality versus personal preference