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Inhibited from Bowling Alone

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Listed:
  • Rebecca K. Ratner
  • Rebecca W. Hamilton

Abstract

The present research demonstrates that consumers often feel inhibited from engaging in hedonic activities alone, especially when these activities are observable by others. When considering whether to engage in a hedonic and public activity such as going to a movie alone, individuals anticipate negative inferences from others about their social connectedness that reduce their interest in engaging in the activity. Notably, consumers seem to overestimate how much their enjoyment of these activities depends on whether they are accompanied by a companion. Cues that attenuate consumers’ anticipation of negative inferences by making an activity seem more utilitarian or by reducing the anticipated number of observers systematically increases interest in engaging in unaccompanied public activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca K. Ratner & Rebecca W. Hamilton, 2015. "Inhibited from Bowling Alone," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 42(2), pages 266-283.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:42:y:2015:i:2:p:266-283.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jcr/ucv012
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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Stephanie Q. & Choi, Sungwoo & Mattila, Anna S., 2019. "Love is in the menu: Leveraging healthy restaurant brands with handwritten typeface," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 289-298.
    2. Choi, Sungwoo & Wan, Lisa C. & Mattila, Anna S., 2024. "Unintended indulgence in robotic service encounters," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    3. Hwang, YooHee & Shin, Joongwon & Mattila, Anna S., 2018. "So private, yet so public: The impact of spatial distance, other diners, and power on solo dining experiences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 36-47.
    4. Ronny Behrens & Natasha Zhang Foutz & Michael Franklin & Jannis Funk & Fernanda Gutierrez-Navratil & Julian Hofmann & Ulrike Leibfried, 2021. "Leveraging analytics to produce compelling and profitable film content," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 45(2), pages 171-211, June.
    5. Zou, Huan & Wang, Hong & Li, Jing & Hua, Haiyan & Wu, Shuqi, 2024. "Ordering alone or together? The effect of ordering situation on over-ordering behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. Thomas, Tandy Chalmers & Epp, Amber M. & Price, Linda L., 2020. "Journeying Together: Aligning Retailer and Service Provider Roles with Collective Consumer Practices," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 9-24.
    7. Liu, Stephanie Q. & Wu, Laurie Luorong & Yu, Xi & Huang, Huiling, 2022. "Marketing online food images via color saturation: A sensory imagery perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 366-378.

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