How secret consumer behaviors benefit close relationships

Researchers from University of Connecticut, Indiana University, and Duke University published a new paper in the Journal of Consumer Psychology that provides new insights about the impact of consumers’ secret purchases on intimate relationships and its implications for marketers.

The article, recently published/forthcoming in the Journal of Consumer Psychology “Secret Consumer Behaviors in Close Relationships,” is authored by Danielle J. Brick, Kelley Gullo Wight, and Gavan Fitzsimons.

Most research about keeping secrets in close relationship has focused on significant information, such as extramarital affairs, and the resulting negative impact. Though many people will initially deny it, keeping secrets about everyday consumption habits – hiding candy or an Amazon package from a spouse, for example – is widespread. Until now, little has been known about its impact on close relationships.   

“In our study, we find that 90% of people have recently kept everyday consumer behaviors a secret from a close other—like a friend or spouse—even though they also report that they don’t think their partner would care if they knew about it,” says Wight. “What’s interesting is that even though most of these secret acts are quite ordinary, they can still – positively – impact the relationship.”

Through a series of studies involving both members of a couple, this team found that the slight guilt from secret purchases drives people to want to invest more time and money in their relationships, including allocating more for purchases for their partners than they otherwise might. Using experimental designs, “We found that imagining or describing a recent experience in which people kept a consumption act a secret from a close other led them to want to spend more on things for their partner and their relationship,” says Fitzsimons.

In one study conducted around Valentine’s Day, the researchers found that when one partner said they kept a consumption secret from the other right before the holiday, the secret-keeper reported spending more on Valentine’s Day for the partner.

“That is the investment piece,” says Fitzsimons. “But what’s more, is the study showed that the partner from whom the secret was kept – the target of the secret – reported greater satisfaction with how Valentine’s Day went that year.”

These findings highlight potential additional benefits for the person from whom the secret is kept and meaningful consumer insights for marketers. Given the nature of secrecy, marketers are likely unaware of ways in which consumers may be (secretly) using their products.

The authors suggest that marketers should ask their consumers about when and from whom they use their products in secret so they can better support the secret usage. In addition, Wight says, “We find that people generally keep consumption a secret from a specific person, not necessarily everyone, which means that encouraging secret consumption shouldn’t inhibit other marketing strategies, such as word of mouth.”

“I think what makes this research important, and fun, is how relatable it is,” says Brick. The project started because of an experience I had with a co-worker. She was at work and had to rush home because her husband was sick and leaving work early. I was concerned that he was quite sick. But instead, she told me she had to get home before him to ‘mess up’ the house. She had hired a cleaning person and hadn’t told her husband.”

Full article and author contact information available at:  https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jcpy.1315

About the Journal of Consumer Psychology (JCP)

The Journal of Consumer Psychology publishes top-quality research articles that contribute both theoretically and empirically to our understanding of the psychology of consumer behavior. The Journal is intended for researchers in consumer psychology, social and cognitive psychology, judgment and decision making, and related disciplines. It is also relevant to professionals in advertising and public relations, marketing and branding, consumer and market research, and public policy. Published by the Society for Consumer Psychology since its founding in 1992, JCP has played a significant role in shaping the content and boundaries of the consumer psychology discipline. Dr. Lauren Block (Lippert Professor of Marketing at the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College) serves as the current Editor-in-Chief.

About the Society for Consumer Psychology (SCP)

The Society for Consumer Psychology is the premier voice to further the advancement of the discipline of consumer psychology in a global society. Building upon the Society's excellence in mentoring young behavioral scientists, the SCP facilitates the generation and dissemination of intellectual contributions and promotes professional development and research opportunities for its members around the globe. Dr. Gita V. Johar (Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business at the Columbia Business School, Columbia University) serves as the current President.