Understanding Online Trolling Exposure's Impact on Purchase Intention: The Case of the Xbox Tax
Online discourse about video game platforms has become more polarized, with accusations of bias and favoritism – often called the “Xbox Tax” – influencing consumer perceptions before purchasing. Although similar patterns of incivility have been widely studied in politics, there is limited research on how exposure to toxic online discussions affects consumers’ purchase intention, particularly in the video game industry. Using negativity bias, Elaboration Likelihood Model, brand hate, the unified theory of toxic behavior in video games, and the horn effect as anchors, this dissertation examines the impact of Online Trolling Exposure (OTE) – exposure to intentionally malicious communication that aim to disrupt or aggravate and leverage the overarching elements involved in toxicity, trolling, and incivility – on consumer purchase intentions and how gamer identity level and platform preference influence this relationship. Using a two-phased, quantitative research design, Phase 1 employs a survey of U.S. and U.K.- based video game consumers (N=289) to validate key constructs related to social media and review sites and how respondents use that information to make purchase decisions. Phase 2 utilizes a controlled experiment (N=556) in which participants are exposed to simulated online discussions featuring toxic discourse surrounding a fictional video game release. Purchase intention is measured across multiple contexts, including purchase for self, discounted purchase, pre-order, and subscription-based access. Gamer identity level (casual versus non-casual) and platform affiliation (Xbox versus PlayStation) are examined as potential moderating factors. Results indicate that Online Trolling Exposure (OTE) significantly reduces purchase intention across platforms. At the same time, gamer identity level influences baseline purchase intention; however, it does not moderate the relationship between OTE and purchase intent, as both casual and non-casual gamers are impacted alike. Additionally, the platform was marginally significant, with Xbox experiencing a more profound decline than PlayStation. These findings extend consumer behavior research by demonstrating how OTE functions as a credibility-disrupting signal in digital entertainment markets and offer practical implications for platforms and publishers seeking to manage online discourse and consumer demand.
Platforms, Video games, Online Trolling Exposure (OTE), Incivility, Toxicity, Trolling, Social media
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