Hiding in the crowd : secrecy instigates in consumers a desire to avoid non-conformity

This research investigates how the experience of secrecy affects their consumption behavior. Three studies reveal that when people are keeping secrets, and the secrets are salient in their minds, it instigates a tendency for them to avoid non- conformity in the consumption choices they make. It shows that the effect is driven by the desire to avoid social attention—a desire induced by the thoughts and feelings induced by the secret(s). Furthermore, the effect of secrecy on consumer non-conformity is moderated by the amount of attention consumers sense that others pay to them and their perceived self-control capacity.