Exploring the fit between mobile application service and application privacy

Purpose With the popularity of mobile applications and increasing consumer awareness of application privacy, this paper aims to introduce a new construct of service-privacy fit (i.e. the perceived degree of match between the service of a mobile application and a privacy permission request) to predict consumers’ mobile application adoption. Design/methodology/approach Four experiments were carried out to test the hypothesized relationships. The first study investigated the direct impact of service-privacy fit on application adoption and the mediators of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. The second, third and fourth studies further applied the moderated mediation model to analyze the moderating roles of benefit message type, regulatory focus type and privacy assurance. Findings The results show that service-privacy fit influences application adoption not only directly but also indirectly via the mediators of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. Furthermore, the findings confirm the moderators of benefit message type, regulatory focus type and privacy assurance. Originality/value Drawn from the perspectives of task-technology fit and information boundary theory, this paper introduces a new construct of service-privacy fit as a determinant of application adoption. Grounded in privacy calculus theory, it further explains this relationship through mediating effects of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. Furthermore, this paper proposes that benefit messages and privacy assurance are effective coping strategies to increase the benefit expectancy and reduce the privacy concerns of applications. Based on the perspective of regulatory fit theory, this study further shows that the effects of coping strategies rely on personal traits. The findings enrich the existing knowledge of mobile application adoption and application privacy, suggesting that practitioners should consider mobile consumers’ perception of service-privacy fit when developing applications.

Effects of Nature Values and Regulatory Fit of Message Framing on Message Evaluation and Actual Pro-Environmental Donations

Messages are often tailored to individual differences, as fit is believed to influence behavior. We examine the effects of regulatory fit (i.e., matching promotion/prevention message framing to people’s promotion/prevention orientation) and the priority that individuals attribute to nature values, on the evaluation of climate change messages and donations to pro-environmental charities. We measured participants’ ( n = 570) regulatory focus on ensuring positive outcomes (promotion) versus avoiding negative outcomes (prevention), and nature values. Participants evaluated a promotion- or prevention-framed text (highlighting ensuring the welfare of the environment or avoiding its destruction) and were then invited to donate part of their remuneration to pro-environmental or other charities. Participants who prioritized nature values evaluated the promotion-framed text more favorably the stronger their promotion focus was, but only endorsement of nature values predicted donations. This highlights the importance of measuring actual pro-environmental behavior, as positive message evaluations did not result in donations.

Enhanced Learning Experiences Based on Regulatory Fit Theory Using Affective State Detection

Predicting learners' affective states through the internet has great impact on their learning experiences. Hence, it is important for an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) to consider the learners' affective state in their learning models. This research work focuses on finding learners' frustration levels during learning. Motivating the learners appropriately can enhance their learning experiences. Therefore, the authors also bring in a strategy to respond to learners' affective states in order to motivate them. This work uses Behavioral theory for goal generation, and frustration index is calculated. Based on the frustration level of the learner, motivational messages are displayed to the learners using Regulatory fit theory. The authors evaluated the model using t-test by collecting learners' data from MoodleCloud. The results of the evaluation demonstrate that 80% of the learners' performance significantly increases statistically as an impact of motivational messages provided in response to the learners' frustration.

REGULATORY FIT EFFECTS ON THE ACQUISITION OF LEXICAL STRESS

Higgins’s (2000) regulatory fit theory proposes that a fit between one’s regulatory state and strategic means for reaching a goal increases motivational strength and engagement. This study investigates how regulatory fit affects the L2 acquisition of lexical stress in an authentic learning context. Ninety EFL students were assigned to either gain frame or loss frame conditions. They engaged in speech practice in which they mimicked a model speech in English to win a chance to enter a prize raffle. The reward system was framed differently in the two framing conditions, with the intention of eliciting the participants’ use of eager or vigilant strategies, thus creating fit and nonfit conditions. Acquisition of lexical stress was assessed using pre- and posttest scores. Multiple regression analysis showed no regulatory fit effects and no loss frame effects but did show a significant beneficial effect of the gain frame on the acquisition of lexical stress.

To forgive or retaliate? How regulatory fit affects emotional reactions and repurchase decisions following product failures

Purpose When a product fails out of negligence on the seller’s part, consumers can either retaliate against the seller, more so if a third party encourages them to do so, or forgive the seller should the seller express remorse. This paper aims to examine how the fit between the consumer’s promotion/prevention regulatory orientation and the promotion/prevention frame of a message of contrition (retaliation), such as an apology from a chief executive officer (CEO) (a class action suit threat by a lawyer), affects such forgiveness (retaliation) intentions in the form of product repurchase decisions. Design/methodology/approach In two laboratory experiments, this paper temporally induces a promotion or prevention orientation in the study participants and thereafter ask them to imagine experiencing a product failure and listening to (1) the CEO apologize for the harm (eliciting sympathy/encouraging repurchase); or (2) a lawyer inviting them to seek damages for the harm (eliciting anger/discouraging repurchase). This paper frames the messages from the CEO/lawyer such that they fit either with a promotion mindset or with a prevention mindset. Findings This paper finds that, following a message of apology, a frame-focus fit (compared to a frame-focus misfit) elicits sympathy and encourages repurchase universally across promotion and prevention-oriented consumers. However, following a message encouraging retaliation, the same fit elicits anger and discourages repurchase more among prevention-oriented than promotion-oriented consumers. Originality/value Although past research has investigated how regulatory fit affects forgiveness intentions, this paper fills three research gaps therein by (a) addressing both forgiveness and retaliation intentions, (b) deconstructing the fit-induced “just right feelings” by exploring their underlying emotions of sympathy and anger, and (c) showing that fit effects are not universal across promotion and prevention-oriented consumers. For practice, the results suggest that managers can lessen the fallout from product failures by putting consumers in a promotion mindset that strengthens the effect of a promotion-framed apology and inoculates them against all types of retaliatory messages.

Influence of Regulatory Fit Theory on Persuasion from Google Ads: An Eye Tracking Study

Search engine marketing accounts for a high percentage of investment in platforms such as Google. Several studies have confirmed that users have a negative bias towards advertisements, so we apply social psychology theories via the elaboration probability model in this analysis. In this research, we modify the types of ads shown on Google’s results pages using the regulatory focus and fit and message framing theory to study attentional and behavioral responses with eye-tracking technology and cognitive responses from self-report measures. The results confirm a negative bias towards ads and a preference for organic results. Although promotion-framed ads seem to be more persuasive than neutral and prevention-framed ads, it was not possible to prove compliance with regulatory fit in this field through survey-based studies.

The Role of Regulatory Focus and Emotion Recognition Bias in Cross-Cultural Negotiation

Prior research on cross-cultural negotiation has emphasized the cognitive and the behavioral elements. This study takes a different perspective and presents a motivation–emotion model of cross-cultural negotiation. We propose that the cultural differences in chronic regulatory focus will lead to cultural biases in emotion recognition, which in turn will affect negotiation behaviors. People are inclined to perceive and behave in ways that enhance regulatory fit. Westerners and East Asians, who each have different chronic regulatory focus, are likely to interpret the negotiation situation differently in order to increase their regulatory fit. Specifically, this study proposes that when the emotion of the opponent is ambiguous, people from different cultural backgrounds may show cultural biases in emotion recognition, concentrating on the emotion that fits their chronic regulatory focus. Drawing on the Emotion as Social Information (EASI) model, this study discusses how these cultural biases in emotion recognition can affect people’s negotiation behaviors. Finally, some possible moderators of the motivation–emotion model including power and emotion recognition accuracy are suggested to promote sustainable practices in cross-cultural negotiation.