Same Destination, Different Paths: When and How Does Observing Others' Choices and Reasoning Alter Confidence in Our Own Choices?

Abstract

Seeing others make the same decision we do does not always increase choice confidence or tell the whole story of social influence when consumers expect to have to publically discuss their choice and reasoning. Instead, consumers' confidence in their publically stated choices can be diminished if observed others make the same choice but justify the choice using different reasoning. This effect occurs because confidence in one's own reasoning is thrown into doubt, rather than due to a desire to affiliate with the observed other. These effects are eliminated in both private choice contexts and in rejection versus selection tasks.

Keywords: Social influence, Reasoning, Choice confidence, Social comparison, Reason-based choice, Public versus private behavior