| Abstract: | Employers, insurers, and other third parties are increasingly offering wellness programs and have recently begun incorporating quantification of self (QOS) features to encourage enrollment. While past studies have examined the impact of QOS on consumer behavior in self-directed contexts, none have done so in the context of third-party administration. The present research explores QOS's impact in wellness programs directed by employers, insurers and doctors. A 2 x 4 between-subjects experiment manipulating QOS and program administration type was used to test our hypotheses. Our results found a significant interaction effect between QOS and administration type, where the motivational benefits of a QOS-based wellness program that are found in self-directed contexts are negated when the program is run by certain third parties. This effect is mediated by the participant's perceptions of disempowerment in the program, caused by the involvement of the third party. Consumer policy implications are discussed. |
