When do people accept or change a recommendation?

Exploratory study outline · In preparation · October 26, 2026

A recommendation and a person’s choice are different observations. This small study examines stated choices before and after people see a real assistant recommendation.

The question

Does seeing a recommendation lead to more stated brand changes than simply reconsidering the same decision?

The task concerns running shoes. It uses a recommendation collected in our study of assistant recommendations, not a fabricated answer presented as an assistant response.

The comparison

Participants first state a choice. One group then sees a recommendation. A comparison group reads neutral text instead. Both groups then make a final choice. The analysis compares changes between the groups and reports the uncertainty.

Limits

• The sample is small and uses convenience recruitment.
• A stated choice is not an observed purchase.

What follows from the result

Any result, including a null or negative one, shapes the next study. Stronger claims require better-controlled studies and tests on people and scenarios held out from development.

No responses have been collected yet. We will publish the results here, including null and negative findings.