Seeing Brands Through Rose-Colored Lenses: When Fear of Being Taken Advantage Of Leads to Increased Trust

People often face issues and domains that they do not understand. As such, people are often dependent on experts to manage complex issues (Deci and Ryan 1985; Iyengar and Lepper 2000). In the context of products and services, a lack of knowledge and having to rely on others brings with it risk and the potential to be taken advantage of (Balafoutas, Beck, Kerschbamer, and Sutter 2013; Darby and Karni 1973; Ford, Smith, and Swasy 1990; Mitra, Reiss, and Capella 1999; Ostrom and Iacobucci 1995). Uncertainty such as this is uncomfortable and people are motivated to avoid it (Hogg 2007; Kruglanski and Webster 1996). Although increased skepticism and minimizing interdependence is an intuitive strategy for managing this uncertainty, many domains exist that consumers cannot easily opt out of. Therefore, counterintuitively, some consumers may instead respond by putting on rose-colored lenses and bolster trust in those they are reliant on. The idea that interdependence-related concerns are regulated by bolstering the value of one’s partner is found in a variety of literatures (de Jong, Van der Vegt, and Molleman, 2007; Murray et al. 2008; Murray and Holmes 2009; Shepherd and Kay, 2012; van der Toorn et al. 2011). Who is most likely to engage in this process? Those high in victim sensitivity (VS) have a basic need to trust, but are also particularly sensitive to being victimized (Gollwitzer and Rothmund 2011). However, our reliance on products to manage complex domains is a relationship that is not always easy to opt out of. Because those high in VS are concerned about being taken advantage of, facing a complex domain that one does not understand (and can therefore be taken advantage of) may increase anxiety and actually lead them to bolster trust. In other words, bolstering trust in a brand’s intentions and competency may be a defensive strategy that helps alleviate concerns about being taken advantage of.