Abstract:

This research takes customer use experience as the research perspective, explores the asymmetric effects of direct (e.g., directly use with a product) and indirect use experience (e.g., observing others using product) on sharing content through five studies. Study1 demonstrates that direct use experience with a product is more likely to share feasibility of product and indirect use experience is more likely to share desirability of product. Studies 2 and 3 further reveal that direct experience triggers more process simulation and increases willingness to share feasibility. However, indirect experience triggers more outcome simulation and increases willingness to share desirability. Studies 4 and 5 show that mental construal have moderation effects on the relationship between type of experience and sharing content. Adopting a concrete mental construal prior to an indirect experience will increase willingness to share feasibility, while adopting an abstract mental construal prior to a direct experience will increase willingness to share desirability.

Key words: direct experience, indirect experience, sharing content, mental simulation, construal level