关于E-commerce的负面影响论述(英文版)

OntheNegativeEffectsofE-Commerce:ASociocognitiveExplorationofUnregulatedOn-lineBuyingRobertLaRose,Ph.D.DepartmentofTelecommunicationMichiganStateUniversity,USAAbstractThereismountinganecdotalandsurveyevidenceofunregulatedbuyingontheInternet,includingimpulsiveandcompulsivebuyingthatinextremecasesmayconstituteabehavioraladdiction.Learningtheorymodelsofunregulatedbuyingwerecriticallyreviewedandreconceptualizedintermsoftheself-regulatorymechanismfromBandura’s(1986)socialcognitivetheory.Anewexplanationofunregulatedbuyingwasproposedinwhichdepressionweakenseffectiveself-regulation.Featuresthatmayhaveencouragedordiscouragedunregulatedbuyingwereidentifiedatpopularelectroniccommercesites.Manyfeaturesmayhavedisruptedaccurateself-observationandfosteredadvantageoussocialcomparisonswithotherexcessiveshoppers.Thepotentialforunregulatedconsumptiontodisruptorderlyelectronicmarketplaceswasdiscussed.IntroductionE-commerceintroducesanewrelationshipbetweenelectronicmediaandtheconsumerbymediatingcompleteretailtransactions.Thepsychologyofretailinghastraditionallybeenthepurviewofconsumerpsychologists,whocallourattentiontoaberrantformsofconsumerretailbehaviorthatarecollectivelyreferredtohereas“unregulatedbuying.”Theseincludeimpulsebuying(Rook&Fisher,1995)thatisunplannedandspontaneous,compulsivebuying(Faber&O’Guinn,1992)thatpreoccupiesshopperstothepointofdisruptingtheirlives,andbuyingaddictions(Krych,1989)thatareaformofbehavioraladdiction.NowthathalfofallInternetusershaveboughtaproducton-line(PewResearch,2000)unregulatedbuyingisaconcernforcommunicationresearchersaswell.Theissuebecomesurgentnowthatwomenshoppersoutnumbermenonline(Sandoval,2000),sincethegreatmajorityofunregulatedbuyersarefemale(Black,1996).Off-line,compulsivebuyersaccountforbetween1and8percentofthepopulation(Faber&O’Guinn,1992),ninetypercentofallconsumersmakeimpulsebuys(Cobb&Hoyer,1986),andtwo-fifthsdescribethemselvesasimpulsebuyers(Rook&Fisher,1995).Evidencethatthesebehaviorsaremigratingtoe-commerceisfoundinreportsof“eBayaddicts”(Greenfield,1999;Hedegaard,1999)andofrecreationalon-lineshopping(HarrisInteractive,1999;Lietal.,2000)andinon-linediscussions(e.g.alt.fashion)wherebuyingbingesarecelebrated.Thesebehaviorsdefyrationalconsumerchoiceprocesses(Hoch&Loewenstein,1991),inflatingconsumerpricesandexacerbatingabuseofconsumercreditandpersonalbankruptcies(Faber&O’Guinn,1988)andsohaveimportantsocialeffects.Unregulatedbuyingisalientoprevailingtheoriesofelectroniccommercethataremarket-based,emphasizerationalconsumerdecisions(e.g.,Sarkaretal.,1995),anddismissculturalfactorsandpersonalpreferencesasbothersomeconstraints(e.g.,Steinfield&Whitten,2000).Insearchofafreshtheoreticalperspective,thepresentpapersynthesizesandinterpretsresearchonimpulsive,compulsiveandaddictivebuyingwithinatheoryofhumanbehaviorwellknowntomediaeffectsresearchers,AlbertBandura’s(1986)socialcognitivetheory.Thepossibilitythatelectroniccommercepromotesunregulatedbuyingwillbeexaminedthroughanexploratorycontentanalysisofleadingelectroniccommercesites.LearningTheoryModelsofUnregulatedBuyingImpulsive,compulsiveandaddictivebuyingliealongacontinuumofpurchasebehaviorcharacterizedbydeficientself-regulation(Nataraajan&Goff,1991),acontinuumthatincludesnormalimpulsiveconsumerbehavioratoneextremeanddeviantaddictivebehaviorattheother.Whilethereisnoagreementabouttheetiologyofunregulatedbuying(Black,1996),learningtheorymodelsarecommontomanyexplanationsofthecoursethesedisorderstakeastheyprogressfromimpulsivetorepetitiveandharmfulcompulsivebehavior.Thepresentpaperbeginsbyreviewinglearningtheorymodelsofimpulsive,compulsiveandaddictivebuying.Pureimpulsepurchasesareresponsestonoveltyorescapethatbreakanormalbuyingpattern(Stern,1962).Impulsebuyingtendencyis“aconsumer’stendencytobuyspontaneously,unreflectively,immediately,andkinetically”(Rook&Fisher,1995).Intheclassicallearningtheoryview,thesensoryqualitiesoftheproduct,theretailenvironment(Kotler,1974),theconsumer’strainofthought(Hirschman,1985)oremotionalresponsesevoketheconditionedresponseofimpulsebuying(Rook&Fisher,1995)thattemporarilyblocksthoughtsofnegativeconsequences.In-storebrowsingincreasesexposuretothetriggeringstimuliandeitherpositiveaffectwhileshoppingorageneraltendencytobuyonimpulseincreasesreceptivitytothosestimuli.Positiveoutcomesreinforcetheimpulsivebehavior,includingthebenefitsoftheproduct,satisfactionofconsumerneeds,andthereplacementofnegativeaffectwithfeelingsofpleasureandexcitement(Gardner&Rook,1988).Thus,pleasingshoppingstimulioverwhelmthoughtsaboutnegativeconsequenceswhiletriggeringpositiveemotionsthatevoketheconditionedresponseofimpulsebuying.Asthemotivationshiftsfromthedesiretopurchaseaspecificproducttodesireforthebuyingprocess,acuteepisodesofimpulsebuyingmaygivewaytochroniccompulsivebuying,definedas“chronic,repetitivepurchasingthatbecomesaprimaryresponsetonegativeeventsorfeelings[that]…becomesverydifficulttostopandultimatelyresultsinharmfulconsequences”(O’Guinn&Faber,1989,p.155).Learningtheorymechanisms(i.e.,“…eventuallythisbehaviorproducessufficientpositive