The Antecedents of Customer Self-Disclosure to Online Virtual Advisors

This study proposes and tests a model of the antecedents to customer self-disclosure to an online virtual advisor during the requirements elicitation stage of a skin care product. In such a context, a customer is required to provide personal information for the advisor to identify a suitable skin care product. Consistent with the view of self-disclosure as a form of social exchange, we propose that a customer’s intention to self-disclose is affected by the extent to which she believes the disclosures will enable her to obtain a better product, and her perceived information misuse risk. Furthermore, we posit that the customer’s perception of the advisor’s responsiveness acts both as an antecedent to her disclosure intentions, as well as her perceived benefits and costs. The results of an experimental investigation support the theoretical model.