Does negativity bias exist? Exploring the mechanism of rural tourists’ interaction-based value co-creation: perceived benefits and costs as mediators

This study examines the balance between the benefits and costs experienced by tourists in interactions with others and the possible determinants of net gain or loss in value co-creation (VCC). Using PLS-SEM to analyze data from 540 tourists in Xiaoxigou, China, the study confirms that interactions with the environment, staff, and residents significantly influence perceived benefits and costs, whereas tourist-tourist interaction has a limited impact. Perceived costs have a more substantial impact than perceived benefits on VCC; both perceived benefits and costs mediate the impact of interaction on VCC. This study advances the VCC literature by adopting integrative interaction and negativity bias approaches to understand the mechanisms of interaction-based VCC.