IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/mgtdec/v46y2025i5p3200-3211.html

Trapped by AI Recommendation: How Identity Concerns Reduce Variety‐Seeking Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Zelin Tong
  • Huilin Liu
  • Jingdan Feng
  • Wei Wang
  • Huizhi Wu
  • Jilv Xu

Abstract

This research explores the impact of AI recommendations on consumers' variety‐seeking behavior. Through three studies, we examine how AI recommendations in different contexts, such as music and shopping apps, influence consumers' variety‐seeking behavior. The results consistently show that AI recommendation significantly reduces variety‐seeking behavior among consumers with strong identification due to heightened concerns about AI misclassification. In contrast, consumers with weak identification remain unaffected. These findings reveal a potential dark side of AI recommendation, where consumers' desire to maintain a consistent identity leads them to engage less in diverse explorations, thereby intensifying the creation of information cocoons. Our research contributes to the literature by highlighting the psychological mechanisms underlying consumer responses to AI recommendations and underscores the need for a balanced approach in AI personalization strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Zelin Tong & Huilin Liu & Jingdan Feng & Wei Wang & Huizhi Wu & Jilv Xu, 2025. "Trapped by AI Recommendation: How Identity Concerns Reduce Variety‐Seeking Behavior," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(5), pages 3200-3211, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:46:y:2025:i:5:p:3200-3211
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.4524
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.4524
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/mde.4524?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jinhee Choi & B. Kyu Kim & Incheol Choi & Youjae Yi, 2006. "Variety-Seeking Tendency in Choice for Others: Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Causes," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 32(4), pages 590-595, March.
    2. Menon, Satya & Kahn, Barbara E, 1995. "The Impact of Context on Variety Seeking in Product Choices," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 22(3), pages 285-295, December.
    3. Christopher A. Summers & Robert W. Smith & Rebecca Walker Reczek, 2016. "An Audience of One: Behaviorally Targeted Ads as Implied Social Labels," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 43(1), pages 156-178.
    4. Russell W. Belk, 2013. "Extended Self in a Digital World," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 40(3), pages 477-500.
    5. Belk, Russell W, 1988. "Possessions and the Extended Self," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 15(2), pages 139-168, September.
    6. Liad Weiss & Gita V. Johar, 2013. "Egocentric Categorization and Product Judgment: Seeing Your Traits in What You Own (and Their Opposite in What You Don't)," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 40(1), pages 185-201.
    7. McAlister, Leigh, 1982. "A Dynamic Attribute Satiation Model of Variety-Seeking Behavior," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 9(2), pages 141-150, September.
    8. Quentin André & Ziv Carmon & Klaus Wertenbroch & Alia Crum & Douglas Frank & William Goldstein & Joel Huber & Leaf Boven & Bernd Weber & Haiyang Yang, 2018. "Consumer Choice and Autonomy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 5(1), pages 28-37, March.
    9. Jonah Berger & Chip Heath, 2007. "Where Consumers Diverge from Others: Identity Signaling and Product Domains," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(2), pages 121-134, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ahmet Türkmen & Muhammed Bilgehan Aytaç, 2025. "The role of overt and covert narcissism in virtual goods purchase motivations and intention," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1545-1575, June.
    2. Agnieszka Zablocki & Bodo Schlegelmilch & Michael J. Houston, 2019. "How valence, volume and variance of online reviews influence brand attitudes," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 9(1), pages 61-77, June.
    3. Kim, Aekyoung & Briley, Donnel, 2020. "Finding the self in chance events," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 853-867.
    4. Leonardo M. Raimundo & João F. Proença, 2023. "The Influence of Sustainability on Psychological Ownership in Services Based on Temporary Access," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-35, July.
    5. Voyer, Benjamin G. & Kastanakis, Minas N. & Rhode, Ann Kristin, 2017. "Co-creating stakeholder and brand identities: A cross-cultural consumer perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 399-410.
    6. Frank, Björn & Herbas-Torrico, Boris & Schvaneveldt, Shane J., 2021. "The AI-extended consumer: Technology, consumer, country differences in the formation of demand for AI-empowered consumer products," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    7. Bernritter, Stefan F. & Verlegh, Peeter W.J. & Smit, Edith G., 2016. "Why Nonprofits Are Easier to Endorse on Social Media: The Roles of Warmth and Brand Symbolism," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 27-42.
    8. Rita Gonçalves, Ana & Costa Pinto, Diego & Gonzalez-Jimenez, Héctor & Dalmoro, Marlon & Mattila, Anna S., 2025. "Me, Myself, and My AI: How artificial intelligence classification failures threaten consumers’ self-expression," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    9. Martenson, Rita, 2018. "Curiosity motivated vacation destination choice in a reward and variety-seeking perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 70-78.
    10. Strong, Carolyn A. & Martin, Brett A.S. & Jin, Hyun Seung & Greer, Dominique & O'Connor, Peter, 2019. "Why do consumers research their ancestry? Do self-uncertainty and the need for closure influence consumer's involvement in ancestral products?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 332-337.
    11. Natalia Rogova & Shashi Matta, 2023. "The role of identity in digital consumer behavior: A conceptual model and research propositions based on gender," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 13(1), pages 55-70, June.
    12. Liu, Jingshi (Joyce) & Dalton, Amy Nicole, 2024. "The inauthentic consumer: Consequences of self-inauthenticity for possession disposal," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    13. Leah Warfield Smith & Randall Lee Rose & Alex R. Zablah & Heath McCullough & Mohammad “Mike” Saljoughian, 2023. "Examining post-purchase consumer responses to product automation," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 530-550, May.
    14. Anastasiadou, Constantia & Vettese, Samantha, 2021. "Souvenir authenticity in the additive manufacturing age," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    15. Bella Rozenkrants & S Christian Wheeler & Baba Shiv & Gita JoharEditor & Derek RuckerAssociate Editor, 2017. "Self-Expression Cues in Product Rating Distributions: When People Prefer Polarizing Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 44(4), pages 759-777.
    16. Wu, Pei-Hsun & Kao, Danny Tengti, 2011. "Goal orientation and variety seeking behavior: The role of decision task," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 65-72, February.
    17. Zhuomin Shi & Zaoying Kuang & Ning Yang, 2017. "Why it is hard to explain Chinese face?—FACE measurement models and its influence on ecological product preference," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, December.
    18. Ivan Fedorenko & Pierre Berthon, 2017. "Beyond the expected benefits: unpacking value co-creation in crowdsourcing business models," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 7(3), pages 183-194, December.
    19. Tang, Honghong & Li, Lin & Su, Song, 2022. "Experiencing less leads to the use of more: The effect of a scarcity mindset on product usage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 139-148.
    20. Claus, Bart & Geyskens, Kelly & Millet, Kobe & Dewitte, Siegfried, 2012. "The referral backfire effect: The identity-threatening nature of referral failure," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 370-379.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:46:y:2025:i:5:p:3200-3211. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.