Busyness and diverse choice: How perceived busyness shapes consumer’s preference for variety seeking

Abstract

This research investigates the effect of perceived busyness on variety seeking. Utilizing an incentive-compatible design with real behavioral outcomes and an online experiment, the research initially validates the main hypothesis: individuals in the busyness condition exhibit stronger variety-seeking behavior compared to those in the control condition (study 1 and study 2). Two experiments demonstrate that threats to time autonomy mediate the impact of perceived busyness on variety seeking (study 3 and study 4). Additionally, this research verifies the boundary of busyness type (proactive busyness vs. forced busyness) (study 5). This study offers important theoretical and managerial insights by revealing the psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions and enhances our understanding of the busyness, threats to time autonomy, and variety seeking, offering valuable insights for strategic marketing and targeted advertising.