UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF RESTRICTIVE INTERVENTIONS OF FREE TRIAL SOFTWARE (FTS): A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Offering free trial software (FTS) has become a common practice in the competitive software industry. However, the importance of FTS and its restrictions in influencing software acquisition has not been verified with any theoretical support. To fill the literature gap, this research was conducted to explore various responses of a trial user toward the FTS restrictions from a cognitive, emotional, attitudinal, or behavioral perspective and how a user's free trial experience will influence his/her purchase decision making. Specifically, drawing upon various theories and literature from Information Systems (IS), social psychology, consumer behavior, consumer psychology and marketing, this thesis consists of three related studies focusing on two types of software product: utilitarian software and hedonic software and three different theoretical perspectives: psychological reactance, coping, and the countervailing effects between cognitive absorption and self-control.