DOI: 10.5061/dryad.m708h14
title: Data from: Too constrained to converse: the effect of financial constraints on word-of-mouth

description: Existing research demonstrates that financial constraints are widespread
 and influence consumer attention, preference, choice, and consumption in a
 variety of ways. Despite the growing knowledge of how financial
 constraints affect the consumer decision making process, less is known
 about its impact on post-purchase behavior. This work examines whether
 financial constraints impact an important post-purchase
 behavior—word-of-mouth—and in what direction. Seven studies show that
 financial constraints reduce purchase-related word-of-mouth. This effect
 emerges across consumers’ reported frequencies of discussing their
 purchases with friends and family, as well as their intentions, desires,
 and real decisions to engage in online word-of-mouth. This effect is
 explained by reduced anticipated pleasure of engaging in purchase-related
 word-of-mouth, which results from financially constrained consumers’
 belief that rehearsing their monetary expenditures will reinforce negative
 feelings about their limited financial situation. This effect cannot be
 similarly explained by other accounts such as impression management or the
 desire to hoard informational resources. Further, the authors show that
 the reduction in anticipated pleasure from word-of-mouth is specific to
 sharing about one’s monetary expenditures. Thus, financial constraints
 reduce purchase-related word-of-mouth, but they do not universally
 decrease one’s propensity to share.
description: FC and WOM - Study 1 -
 Correlational Past BehaviorFour hundred adults
 located in the US were recruited through IPSOS, a leading market research
 panel provider, to complete this correlational survey.FC and WOM - Study 2 -
 Correlational ChatroomFour hundred and five
 adults on MTurk completed this study, which examined the association
 between financial constraints and choice of chatroom (purchases vs.
 local/state parks).FC and WOM - Study 2 -
 PretestForty three adults on
 MTurk responded to questions about potential conversation topics. This
 data was used to identify a chatroom topic for study 2.FC and WOM - Study 3a -
 MediationTwo hundred and fifty
 three adults, recruited through the IPSOS market research panel
 organization, completed a two condition (financial constraint vs. control)
 between-subjects design. This study examined the causal relationship
 between financial constraints and word-of-mouth and identified the role of
 reduced anticipated pleasure in driving the results.FC and WOM - Study 3b -
 Serial MediationTwo hundred and fifty
 six adults from MTurk responded to this two condition (financial
 constraints vs. control) between-subjects study. Replicating and extending
 the results of study 3a, this study additionally demonstrated that, for
 financially constrained consumers, the reduced anticipated pleasure of
 word-of-mouth arises from a belief that rehearsing monetary expenditures
 would reinforce negative feelings about their limited financial
 situation,FC and WOM - Study 4 -
 Varying the ExpenditureEight hundred and nine
 adults on MTurk completed this 2 (financial constraint vs. control) x 2
 (expenditure: money vs. time) between-subjects design. This study showed
 that for expenditures of time, the effect of financial constraints on
 word-of-mouth was attenuated.FC and WOM - Study 5 -
 Free vs Paid EventEight hundred and eleven
 adults completed this survey through MTurk. This study followed a 2
 (financial constraint vs. control) x 2 (purchase cost: free vs. paid
 comedy show) between-subjects design, and demonstrated that word-of-mouth
 is only reduced for financially constrained consumers when the subject
 matter is a monetary expenditure (vs. a costless yet otherwise identical
 item).FC and WOM - Study 6 -
 Purchases vs GiftsEight hundred and fifty
 six adults recruited through the IPSOS market research organization
 responded to this study. This study employed a 2 (financial constraint vs.
 control) x 2 (purchase vs. gift) between-subjects design, and demonstrated
 that financially constrained consumers were less likely to discuss new
 products only when those items were personal monetary expenditures (vs.
 gifts).FC and WOM - Web
 Appendix - Study 1Two hundred and two
 adults completed this two condition (financial constraint vs. control)
 between-subjects design on the MTurk platform. This study replicated the
 main effect, and examined the role of a series of purchase-specific
 characteristics.FC and WOM - Web
 Appendix - Study 2Four hundred and four
 adults completed this study. This study followed a 2 (financial constraint
 vs. control) x 2 (purchase: hedonic vs. utilitarian) between-subjects
 design, demonstrating the robustness of the main effect across both
 hedonic and utilitarian purchases.