Speaker
Description
The scarcity effect refers to people’s tendency to find things more attractive and desirable, and to value them more when they are scarce rather than abundant, e.g. in supply. The present study aims to shed light on a possible underlying phenomenon explaining this relationship, namely the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). The mediation hypothesis was tested in an online survey by manipulating an online shopping offer for a solar-powered power bank. Participants (N = 161) were randomly assigned to either a scarcity condition, which was designed to induce FoMO through a scarcity message, or a control condition without a scarcity message. Following the presentation of the offer, respondents’ FoMO levels, their intention to purchase and their attitudes towards the product were assessed. Results showed a positive indirect mediating effect of FoMO on both purchase intention and product evaluation. The findings add to the existing literature by identifying FoMO as a mediating variable that has only been researched in the context of service sales, and now examined in the context of the sale of tangible goods, delivering interesting implications for marketers.
| Are you currently an Early Career Researcher? | Yes, I am still a student or have not yet received my Ph.D. |
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