The Positivity Effect in Perceptions of Services: Seen One, Seen Them All?

A series of studies show converging evidence of a positivity effect in consumers’ inferences about service providers. When the consumer has little experience with a service, positive information about a single employee leads to inferences that the firm’s other service providers are similarly positive to a greater extent than negative information leads to inferences that the firm’s other service providers are similarly negative. Four studies were conducted that varied in the amount of information about the service provider, the firm, and the service. The positivity effect was supported despite differences across studies in methods as well as measures.

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