How Over-attentive Service Influences Identity-related Consumption (Abstract)

Although consumers frequently encounter over-attentive services, little is known about whether and how these circumstances shape their perceptions and decision-making. This experimental study explores how consumers make decisions in response to over-attentive service. The results demonstrate that over-attentive service increases consumers’ adult identity-associated consumption resulting from perceived infantilization—a sense that they have been treated as vulnerable kids. First, this research theoretically extends the literature on service marketing by uncovering a novel decision-making tendency influenced by overattentive service. Second, this study is a pioneer in utilizing infantilization to explain consumer behaviour. Third, this research also broadens our knowledge of social identity theory and symbolic consumption by understanding how consumers cope with threats to their adult identity. Acquiring this knowledge helps marketing practitioners mitigate risks for consumers in overly attentive service contexts, as adult identity-related consumption, triggered by perceived infantilization, can have negative and positive effects on consumer well-being, depending on context. For instance, leading consumers to drink alcohol may not be beneficial, while guiding a patient to choose a relatively painful yet effective medical treatment can be advantageous. Both of these consumption choices are representative of adult identity. As such, our research provides valuable insights into responsible marketing.