Buyer behavior · Randomized controlled field experiment with causal mediation analysis.
How Do Recommender Systems Lead to Consumer Purchases? A Causal Mediation Analysis of a Field Experiment
Information Systems Research · 2022
Summary
Personalized recommendations increased purchase propensity 12.4% and basket value 1.7%; effects were largely mediated by consideration-set changes, especially breadth.
For your marketing
Possible founder application
Use to shape a locally controlled channel or message test; account for audience, timing and attribution limits before reallocating budget.
Reported result
What the study found
Personalized recommendations increased purchase propensity 12.4% and basket value 1.7%; effects were largely mediated by consideration-set changes, especially breadth.
Research question
What the authors investigated
Through what causal paths do personalized recommendations induce purchases?
Design
Randomized controlled field experiment with causal mediation analysis.
Sample and setting
Website of an online book retailer; consumer purchase behavior and consideration-set breadth/depth.
Scope and transfer
Limitations to keep in view
Online-book-retailer context; publisher abstract does not establish effects for other categories or platforms.
Research sources
Publisher abstract reports design, setting, quantified effects and mediation mechanism. Direct publisher-page retrieval was recorded on 2026-10-09; this profile uses the publisher abstract/metadata and does not claim independent review of unavailable full text.