Listen to this: Why consumer behavior researchers should care about listening
Abstract
Consumers’ decisions are intricately interwoven with their conversations. Whether it
is an animated discussion with a trusted friend extolling the virtues of a newly
acquired car (i.e., Word-of-Mouth), an engaging dialogue with a salesperson, or a clarifying call to a help center seeking guidance on a just-purchased smartwatch, every
exchange hinges on a pivotal factor: the quality of listening. Listening quality shapes
perceptions, affects social influence, drives behavioral intentions, and, ultimately,
determines purchase and post-purchase outcomes. Yet, despite its importance to
these consumer behavior outcomes, listening has received scant attention in consumer psychology. In this paper, we review the effects of listening on consumer
behavior-relevant outcomes and unpack the components of quality listening to
reveal their independent mechanisms. We also point to new frontiers in listening
research beyond the in-person, dyadic interactions that have been the primary focus
of listening research to date. By doing this, we elucidate how listening and consumer
behavior are connected and encourage more research on listening in consumer
psychology.
Perceiving others as responsive lessens prejudice: The mediating roles of intellectual humility and attitude ambivalence
Guy Itzchakov , Harry T. Reis , Kimberly Rios
Responsiveness
Can perceived responsiveness, the extent to which an individual feels understood, validated, and cared for by
close others, reduce prejudiced attitudes? We hypothesized that perceived responsiveness by meaningful other
people would increase recipients’ intellectual humility and attitude ambivalence and that these changes would
reduce prejudice. Five studies (total N = 3362), four of which were preregistered, manipulated perceived
responsiveness by a specific person (Studies 1–3, 5) or measured the effects of perceived responsiveness by the
closest social network of the recipient (Study 4). All studies supported the hypotheses. Specifically, Studies 1 and
2 found that perceived responsiveness increased intellectual humility and attitude ambivalence and reduced
prejudice toward a group from a pre-determined list. Study 3 replicated these findings when participants freely
chose the social group. In Study 4, perceived responsiveness from individuals’ closest social networks predicted
the dependent variables a few days afterward, controlling for positive and negative affect and social desirability.
Finally, in Study 5, we added a condition of positive social interaction to rule out the possibility that the prior
findings were due to recalling an affectively positive experience. The effect of perceived responsiveness on
prejudice reduction (i.e., increased attitude favorability toward the social group) was not moderated by attitude
certainty (Study 2), anxious or avoidant attachment style (Study 2), or attitude morality (Study 3). This work
suggests that fostering perceived responsiveness can serve as a strategy for mitigating prejudice and promoting
more open-minded attitudes.
Keep reading
The effects of listening on speaker and listener while talking about character strengths: an open science school-wide collaboration
Tia Moin, Netta Weinstein, Guy Itzchakov, Amanda Branson, Beth Law, Lydia Yee, Emma Pape, Rebecca Y. M. Cheung, Anthony Haffey, Bhismadev Chakrabarti and Philip Beaman
Listening
Listening is understood to be a foundational element in
practices that rely on effective conversations, but there is
a gap in our understanding of what the effects of highquality
listening are on both the speaker and listener.
This registered report addressed this gap by training one
group of participants to listen well as speakers discuss
their character strengths, allowing us to isolate the role
relational listening plays in strengths-based conversations.
Participants were paired and randomly assigned to a highquality
listening (experimental) or moderate-quality listening
(comparison) condition manipulated through a validated
video-based training. High-quality listening predicted a
more constructive relational experience; specifically, positivity
resonance. Intrapersonal experiences (perceived authenticity
and state anxiety) were not affected. Those who engaged
in high-quality listening expressed a behavioural intention
to continue listening, but condition did not predict a
behavioural intention for speakers to continue applying
character strengths. This is the first evidence of positivity
resonance as a shared outcome between both a speaker and listener when the listener conveys high-quality (as opposed to ‘everyday’) listening. These early
findings merit further study with stronger listening manipulations to explore the potential role
of listening within interpersonal communication, and inform the applied psychological sciences
(counselling, psychotherapy, coaching, organizational, education).
Keep reading