When people avoid a product chosen by others: The effects of the need for uniqueness and the presence of others

抄録

Previous research has demonstrated that when people have to choose a product for which they do not have a preference and can observe their partners’ choices in advance, they are more likely to imitate their partners’ choices when choosing privately, whereas they are likely to choose differently when they are with their partners. The present study extends this evidence by testing Japanese participants and examining individual differences in the need for uniqueness. Despite the Japanese cultural norm of interdependence, which is positively associated with conformity, less than half of the participants imitated their partners’ choices, whether they chose privately or publicly. Moreover, people with a high need for uniqueness tended to choose a different option when choosing in front of their partners. Implications for the consequences of social influence are discussed.