Defending the rules: How exposure to immoral behavior influences the boundary preference

Abstract This research investigates how exposure to immoral behavior affects boundary preferences. Across five experimental studies with diverse types of immoral behavior, products, and measures of boundary preference, we show that exposure to immoral behavior increases the preference for a product with a bounded design over a product with an unbounded design—an example of compensatory consumption. The effect is mediated by a heightened desire for control. It is eliminated when the immoral behavior has been punished by an external agent and among consumers with a low chronic desire for structure. Depending on the products available, exposure to immoral behavior can also lead to consistent consumption: an increase in the preference for a product with an irregular design, which matches the momentary feeling of lacking control. We demonstrate consumers with a high (low) chronic desire for structure gravitate toward compensatory (consistent) consumption following exposure to immoral behavior, providing implications for targeted marketing.