Effects of sponsorship disclosures on social media influencer–user psychological contract violation: moderated mediation effects through the expectancy violations lens

Purpose The purpose of this study is to deploy the psychological lens of “expectancy violation” to examine the effects of social media influencers’ (SMIs) sponsorship disclosure on social media users’ (SMUs) behavioral outcomes (i.e. influencer avoidance, influencer switching and brand avoidance) and whether these relationships are moderated by SMIs’ honesty declaration and SMU cynicism. Design/methodology/approach A 2x2 between-subjects experimental design was used across four studies. Data collected across four online experiments were analyzed. Findings Study 1 found that sponsorship disclosures increased influencer avoidance, influencer switching and brand avoidance. Study 2 found that SMUs’ psychological contract violation with SMIs mediated these relationships. However, SMIs’ effective honesty declaration statements (vs no declaration) subdued SMUs’ negative behavioral outcomes. Study 3 elucidated that SMUs’ cynicism (vs no cynicism) accentuated the effects of sponsorship disclosures on influencer avoidance, influencer switching and brand avoidance. Studies 2 and 3 supported moderated mediation effect through SMUs’ psychological contract violation for honesty declaration but not SMU cynicism. Practical implications This study elucidates SMUs’ evaluation of brand-sponsored SMI posts and provides managers with tools such as honesty declaration statements and tags to offset the negative effects on consumer behavioral outcomes. Originality/value This is one of the initial studies investigating SMUs’ psychological contract violation and the effects of SMUs’ cynicism in SMIs’ sponsorship disclosure context. Also, this study conceptualizes a novel construct, influencer switching, as one of the consequences of sponsorship disclosure.