{"title":"共享经济中匿名的代价:消费者不信任和回避没有个人资料照片的卖家。","authors":"Bastian Jaeger, Emir Efendić","doi":"10.5334/irsp.991","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sharing economy platforms, such as Airbnb, encourage sellers to display profile photos and other personal information to increase consumer trust and engagement. However, research has shown that consumers rely on this information to discriminate against sellers with certain characteristics (e.g., ethnic minorities). Some sharing economy sellers may therefore choose not to display a profile photo because they wish to conceal their appearance or social identity to prevent discrimination or other unfavorable treatment by consumers or because of general privacy concerns. In four preregistered studies with samples from the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, we examined the consequences of withholding profile profiles. We tested how the presence (vs. absence) of personal photos affects consumer trust and preferences for different sellers. Three experimental studies (total <i>N</i> = 380) suggest that consumers distrust and avoid hosts without a profile photo. In Study 4, we analyzed 461 ride-sharing listings and found that drivers with a profile photo charge higher prices for otherwise equivalent rides. In sum, our results suggest that sharing economy sellers face a tradeoff between anonymity and earning opportunities.</p>","PeriodicalId":45461,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Social Psychology","volume":"38 ","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12396182/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"The Cost of Anonymity in the Sharing Economy: Consumers Distrust and Avoid Sellers Without Profile Photos.\",\"authors\":\"Bastian Jaeger, Emir Efendić\",\"doi\":\"10.5334/irsp.991\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><p>Sharing economy platforms, such as Airbnb, encourage sellers to display profile photos and other personal information to increase consumer trust and engagement. However, research has shown that consumers rely on this information to discriminate against sellers with certain characteristics (e.g., ethnic minorities). Some sharing economy sellers may therefore choose not to display a profile photo because they wish to conceal their appearance or social identity to prevent discrimination or other unfavorable treatment by consumers or because of general privacy concerns. In four preregistered studies with samples from the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, we examined the consequences of withholding profile profiles. We tested how the presence (vs. absence) of personal photos affects consumer trust and preferences for different sellers. Three experimental studies (total <i>N</i> = 380) suggest that consumers distrust and avoid hosts without a profile photo. In Study 4, we analyzed 461 ride-sharing listings and found that drivers with a profile photo charge higher prices for otherwise equivalent rides. In sum, our results suggest that sharing economy sellers face a tradeoff between anonymity and earning opportunities.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":45461,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"International Review of Social Psychology\",\"volume\":\"38 \",\"pages\":\"12\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":1.6000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-08-08\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12396182/pdf/\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"International Review of Social Psychology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"102\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.991\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"心理学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"2025/1/1 0:00:00\",\"PubModel\":\"eCollection\",\"JCR\":\"Q3\",\"JCRName\":\"PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Review of Social Psychology","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.991","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
The Cost of Anonymity in the Sharing Economy: Consumers Distrust and Avoid Sellers Without Profile Photos.
Sharing economy platforms, such as Airbnb, encourage sellers to display profile photos and other personal information to increase consumer trust and engagement. However, research has shown that consumers rely on this information to discriminate against sellers with certain characteristics (e.g., ethnic minorities). Some sharing economy sellers may therefore choose not to display a profile photo because they wish to conceal their appearance or social identity to prevent discrimination or other unfavorable treatment by consumers or because of general privacy concerns. In four preregistered studies with samples from the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, we examined the consequences of withholding profile profiles. We tested how the presence (vs. absence) of personal photos affects consumer trust and preferences for different sellers. Three experimental studies (total N = 380) suggest that consumers distrust and avoid hosts without a profile photo. In Study 4, we analyzed 461 ride-sharing listings and found that drivers with a profile photo charge higher prices for otherwise equivalent rides. In sum, our results suggest that sharing economy sellers face a tradeoff between anonymity and earning opportunities.
期刊介绍:
The International Review of Social Psychology (IRSP) is supported by the Association pour la Diffusion de la Recherche Internationale en Psychologie Sociale (A.D.R.I.P.S.). The International Review of Social Psychology publishes empirical research and theoretical notes in all areas of social psychology. Articles are written preferably in English but can also be written in French. The journal was created to reflect research advances in a field where theoretical and fundamental questions inevitably convey social significance and implications. It emphasizes scientific quality of its publications in every area of social psychology. Any kind of research can be considered, as long as the results significantly enhance the understanding of a general social psychological phenomenon and the methodology is appropriate.