Stop arguing! How childhood exposure to interparental conflict affects consumer response toward product review dispersion

Abstract

This paper explores how exposure to interparental conflict (IPC) during one's childhood impacts online buyer behavior later in adulthood. We show that people who report having witnessed higher (vs. lower) levels of IPC as children evaluate products less favorably when they are associated with product reviews exhibiting a higher (vs. lower) dispersion of opinion. This result is driven by a desire to avoid conflict. The research deepens the understanding consumer responses to review dispersion by identifying a novel psychological factor. It also contributes to the developmental psychology and socialization literatures by documenting the long-lasting impact of early childhood family communication processes on adult consumer behavior. Future research avenues are discussed.