Results from three large-scale field studies and two controlled experiments show that consumers tend to be more self-disclosing when generating content on their smartphone versus personal computer. This tendency is found in a wide range of domains including social media posts, online restaurant reviews, open-ended survey responses, and compliance with requests for personal information in web advertisements. The authors show that this increased willingness to self-disclose on one’s smartphone arises from the psychological effects of two distinguishing properties of the device: (1) feelings of comfort that many associate with their smartphone and (2) a tendency to narrowly focus attention on the disclosure task at hand due to the relative difficulty of generating content on the smaller device. The enhancing effect of smartphones on self-disclosure yields several important marketing implications, including the creation of content that is perceived as more persuasive by outside readers. The authors explore implications for how these findings can be strategically leveraged by managers, including how they may generalize to other emerging technologies.
Shiri Melumad
- Associate Professor of Marketing
Contact Information
- Primary Email:
melumad@wharton.upenn.edu - Office Phone:
(215) 573-0797 - Office Fax Phone:
(215) 898-2534
- office Address:
753 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
3730 Walnut Street
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Research Interests: Consumer Psychology of Technology, New Media and User-Generated Content, Digital Marketing
Activity
Latest Research
Shiri Melumad and Robert Meyer (2020), Full Disclosure: How Smartphones Enhance Consumer Self-Disclosure, .
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