Intimate Exchanges: Using Computers to Elicit Self-Disclosure from Consumers

Abstract

This investigation examines the dynamics associated with soliciting intimate information from consumers via computers. Experiment 1 identifies two factors—reciprocity and sequence—that affect the likelihood that people will reveal intimate information about themselves via a computer. Experiment 2 provides evidence that intimate information exchanges can affect how consumers behave in subsequent interactions. Implications for marketing research and practice are discussed.