Defaults, framing and privacy: Why opting in-opting out

Johnson, E.J., Bellman, S. and Lohse, G.L. (2002) Defaults, framing and privacy: Why opting in-opting out. Marketing Letters, 13 (1). pp. 5-15.

Abstract

Differences in opt-in and opt-out responses are an important element of the current public debate concerning on-line privacy and more generally for permission marketing. We explored the issue empirically. Using two on-line experiments we show that the default has a major role in determining revealed preferences for further contact with a Web site. We then explore the origins of these differences showing that both framing and defaults have separate and additive effects in affecting the construction of preferences.