Journal of Consumer Psychology 1998
Expectancy Effects Between Exchange Partners
Abstract
Interpersonal expectancy effects research focuses on how one individual's expectations influence another individual's behavior. Also known as self‐fulfilling prophecies, interpersonal expectancy effects have been shown to be a significant phenomenon in human interaction. Unfortunately, interpersonal expectancy effects have been virtually neglected in the context of the marketing‐exchange process. Hence, two laboratory experiments were conducted to test the effects of experimentally‐induced expectations in simulated buyer–seller interactions. Study 1 was run to verify the existence of expectancy effects between buyers and sellers. In an effort to replicate and extend Study 1, Study 2 included authentic buyers, who, prior to actually interacting with a student seller, were given fictitious information regarding their partner. The information corresponded to either a positive or negative norm in exchange (role integrity and opportunism, respectively). Assessments of participants’ behavior during the interaction (e.g., time spent talking) and perceptions (e.g., self‐report items reflecting participants’ liking for each other) revealed that prior expectations affected buyer–seller interactions.
- DOI
- 10.1207/s15327663jcp0701_03
- Sources
- openalex