Two Sides of Self-Enhancement in Consumer Word-of-Mouth.

Abstract

This dissertation explores self-enhancement in the exchange of consumption information (word-of-mouth) from the perspective of both the source and recipient of this information. The first essay demonstrates that unfavorable gaps between consumer perceptions of their own actual and ideal consumer knowledge (knowledge discrepancies) influence their word-of-mouth intentions and behavior. Results across four studies suggest that given a knowledge discrepancy, people are motivated to compensate for this perceived shortcoming by increasing the number of product reviews they intend to write, and/or the number of people with whom they intend to share these reviews. Compensatory word-of-mouth is moderated by the perception that sharing product knowledge with others is self-enhancing and mediated by the negative affect that arises from falling short of one’s ideals. Content analysis of knowledge discrepant participants’ word-of-mouth transmissions reveals evidence of a desire to convey a more positive (self-enhancing) image of their own consumer knowledge to others. The second essay of this dissertation examines the impact of source self-enhancement on the perceived credibility of the source, and as a result, their persuasiveness. I propose that word-of-mouth sources that are immodest or boastful in the course of sharing their product opinions generate uncertainty about their own credibility in the mind of the recipient. Three lab experiments reveal that cues highlighting uncertainty about the source’s motives in sharing their product opinion moderate whether the word-of-mouth recipient accepts or rejects the advice of a self-enhancing source. Participants were more likely to reject product recommendations from a self-enhancing source when: (a) the source’s motivation was linked with self-interest, (b) the target and source were dissimilar in terms of demographics, (c) the target was exposed to a generalized suspicion prime, and (d) the source’s self-enhancing message content was irrelevant to the information exchange. Perceptions of source trustworthiness mediate the relationship between source self-enhancement and target persuasion in word-of-mouth. Implications for consumer decision-making and for firms seeking to manage consumer social influence are discussed.