User Behaviors, User Engagement, and Consequences

Paper Type

short

Paper Number

1566

Description

Drawing on foot-in-the-door theory, we identify two structural mechanisms in sign-up procedures that are hypothesized to increase the willingness of online service users to disclose private information (information disclosure) and to become active users (conversion). The two mechanisms are presenting information items in an ascending privacy-intrusion order (vs. a non-ascending order) and on multiple pages (vs. a single page), both applying the reasoning of gradualism advocated by foot-in-the-door theory. To test these hypothesized effects, as well as the moderating effects of the device being used (mobile vs. PC), we perform two digital experiments. The results of the first experiment—a field experiment conducted in collaboration with an international FinTech startup company that provides digital banking services—provide support for our hypotheses about the positive effects of the two foot-in-the-door mechanisms on information disclosure and conversion, as well as partial support for the effects of the device.

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Dec 14th, 12:00 AM

A Digital Foot-in-the-Door: Increasing Information Disclosure and Conversion

Drawing on foot-in-the-door theory, we identify two structural mechanisms in sign-up procedures that are hypothesized to increase the willingness of online service users to disclose private information (information disclosure) and to become active users (conversion). The two mechanisms are presenting information items in an ascending privacy-intrusion order (vs. a non-ascending order) and on multiple pages (vs. a single page), both applying the reasoning of gradualism advocated by foot-in-the-door theory. To test these hypothesized effects, as well as the moderating effects of the device being used (mobile vs. PC), we perform two digital experiments. The results of the first experiment—a field experiment conducted in collaboration with an international FinTech startup company that provides digital banking services—provide support for our hypotheses about the positive effects of the two foot-in-the-door mechanisms on information disclosure and conversion, as well as partial support for the effects of the device.

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