Consumer Alienation and Attitudes toward Consumer Free Riding

Abstract

Given that consumer free riding involves a relatively high level of interaction with the marketplace, it is likely that individuals' attitudes toward consumer free riding are related to degree to which they feel alienated from the marketplace. Such a relation­ ship was observed to exist. Through further examination, attitudes toward consumer free riding appear to originate from two of the three alienation factors, suggesting that individuals' attitudes toward consumer free-riding arise from perceptions of external marketplace issues, not from internal issues. The findings suggest that consumers' attitudes toward free riding may arise from their experiences in the market­ place.