Hiding in the Crowd: Secrecy Compels Consumer Conformity

This research investigates how secrecy (i.e., a state in which people have an active intention to conceal information from others) affects individuals’ consumption behavior. Six studies reveal that making consumers’ secrets salient increases their tendency to conform in their consumption and show that this effect is driven by the desire to avoid social attention. This effect is moderated by consumers’ perceived self-control capacity. This...