Humblebragging and post purchase dissonance: A multi-study approach

Individuals use social media platforms to gratify their self-presentation needs. However, due to the challenges associated with overt bragging, people may resort to humblebragging (i.e., boasting disguised as a complaint). The effectiveness of humblebragging is a subject of debate in literature. Therefore, this study uses multi-study approach (survey and experimental study design) aimed to identify: (i) the conditions under which humblebragging can generate positive outcomes in a tourism context, (ii) whether humblebragging can be used as an effective strategy to mitigate post-purchase dissonance, and (iii) the role of opinion leaders in tourism. The findings revealed that opinion leadership plays a robust moderating role, such that humblebragging can generate positive outcomes and can be an effective strategy to mitigate post-purchase dissonance, but only among individuals with high levels of opinion leadership.