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| Date: |
February 22, 2011 (Tuessday) |
| Time : |
12:30am - 2:00pm |
| Language : |
English |
| Venue : |
Room 602, Meng Wah Complex, The University of Hong Kong |
| Presented By : |
Dr. Bo Sophia Xiao, Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Baptist University |
| Seminar title : |
Effect of Warning Message Content and Warning Message Framing on Consumers' Performance in Detecting Manipulations by Online Product Recommendation Agents |
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| Abstract: |
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The various innovative technologies supporting e-commerce have given rise to novel forms of manipulative practices. Focusing on online product recommendation agents (PRAs, i.e., software artifacts that take as input individual consumers’ product-related preferences and provide recommendations accordingly), this study explores the design of effective support mechanisms that can enhance consumers’ performance in detecting manipulations by PRAs. More specifically, this study examine the effects of two warning message design factors, namely, warning message content and warning message frame, on consumers’ performance in detecting anomalies (in recommendations) that result from the manipulations performed by PRAs. The results of an online experiment show that, compared to those receiving simple warning messages (i.e., ones that included no risk-avoiding advice) about potential manipulation by PRAs, consumers who were provided with warning messages that included risk-avoiding advice performed better in anomaly detection, with significantly more hits and fewer false alarms. More importantly, the provision of warning messages that included negatively-framed risk-avoiding advice proved to be the most effective mechanism in supporting consumers’ effort in detecting anomaly. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical study that examines and explicitly compares the effectiveness of different warning message designs in supporting consumers in detecting PRA manipulations. It thus fills a void in the literature and contributes not only to a better understanding of deceptive manipulations in e-commerce but also to the concerted effort by government agencies, consumer protection organizations, and industry associations to combat such practices. |
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| All Interested are Welcomed: |
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Request for presentation papers or enquires, please contact:
Miss Helen Chung
Tel: 2859 1000 or hchung@business.hku.hk
The papers will also be available on the presentation. |
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