Antecedents and Outcomes of Online Serendipity: Contextual Differences Between Online Services

• In Event: Focusing Theories on Communication and Technology #4

Abstract

The abundance of online information necessitates the increasingly selective filtering of content for convenient user experiences. Critics worry that algorithmic filtering based on homophily leads to a loss of diversity. In turn, “serendipity”, positive experiences due to the encounter of surprising content, is touted as an antidote to overly polished, repetitive use experiences. Little is known, however, about the antecedents and effects of online serendipity. Studies suggest that these antecedents and effects vary by online context, yet few have analyzed this empirically. We identify antecedents of online serendipity using a survey of German Internet users. We then differentiate the proposed serendipity model according to three online contexts: shopping, information and social networks. We find that online serendipity is indeed context-specific. While in the shopping and information context serendipity does not lead to satisfaction with the user experience, on social network sites it has a significant positive effect.

Authors

• Christoph Lutz, University of St Gallen

• Christian Pieter Hoffmann, U of St. Gallen

• Miriam Meckel, U of St. Gallen