It Looks Like "Theirs": When and Why Human Presence in the Photo Lowers Viewers’ Liking and Preference for an Experience Venue

IF 5.7 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Journal of Consumer Research Pub Date : 2023-09-22 DOI:10.1093/jcr/ucad059

Zoe Y Lu, Suyeon Jung, Joann Peck

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract Consumers and marketers often post photos of experiential consumption online. While prior research has studied how human presence in social media images impacts viewers’ responses, the findings are mixed. The present research advances the current understanding by incorporating viewers’ need for self-identity into their response model. Six studies, including an analysis of field data (14,725 Instagram photos by a top travel influencer) and five controlled experiments, find that the presence (vs. absence) of another human in the photo of an identity-relevant experience (e.g., a vacation, a wedding) can lower viewers' liking and preference for the venue (i.e., the vacation destination, the wedding venue) in the photo. This effect is mediated by viewers' feelings of others' ownership of the venue and moderated by the relevance of the experience to the viewer’s self-identity as well as the distinctiveness of the human in the photo. This research is the first to investigate the impact of human presence in shared photos through the lens of psychological ownership and the identity-signaling function of ownership. The findings offer practical insights into when marketers should avoid human presence in advertisements and how to mitigate the negative impact of human presence in online photos.

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它看起来像“他们的”:照片中人类的存在何时以及为什么会降低观众对体验场所的喜欢和偏好

消费者和营销人员经常在网上发布体验消费的照片。虽然之前的研究已经研究了社交媒体图像中人类的存在如何影响观众的反应，但结果却喜忧参半。本研究通过将观众对自我认同的需求纳入他们的反应模型来推进现有的理解。六项研究，包括对现场数据(14,725张顶级旅游网红拍摄的Instagram照片)和五项对照实验的分析，发现另一个人在与身份相关的经历(如度假、婚礼)的照片中的存在(与不存在)会降低观众对照片中地点(即度假目的地、婚礼地点)的喜欢和偏好。这种效应是由观众对他人对场地的所有权的感觉所介导的，并被与观众自我认同的体验的相关性以及照片中人的独特性所调节。本研究首次通过心理所有权和所有权的身份信号功能来研究人类存在对共享照片的影响。研究结果为营销人员何时应该避免在广告中出现真人，以及如何减轻在线照片中出现真人的负面影响提供了实用的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Consumer Research BUSINESS-

CiteScore

12.00

自引率

9.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： Journal of Consumer Research, established in 1974, is a reputable journal that publishes high-quality empirical, theoretical, and methodological papers on a wide range of consumer research topics. The primary objective of JCR is to contribute to the advancement of understanding consumer behavior and the practice of consumer research. To be considered for publication in JCR, a paper must make a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge in consumer research. It should aim to build upon, deepen, or challenge previous studies in the field of consumption, while providing both conceptual and empirical evidence to support its findings. JCR prioritizes multidisciplinary perspectives, encouraging contributions from various disciplines, methodological approaches, theoretical frameworks, and substantive problem areas. The journal aims to cater to a diverse readership base by welcoming articles derived from different orientations and paradigms. Overall, JCR is a valuable platform for scholars and researchers to share their work and contribute to the advancement of consumer research.