How Do Users Cope with Trial Restrictions? A Longitudinal Field Experiment on Free Trial Software
Hock‐Hai Teo, Xue Yang · Journal of the Association for Information Systems · 2007
Software vendors often provide software for free download but with restrictions (e.g., time and/or functionality restrictions). The question arises as to what extent the restrictions should be set to induce users to procure the full version. This study seeks to answer this question through two perspectives: expectation-disconfirmation and coping behavior. Based on these perspectives, a research model of user’s coping reactions toward software restrictions is built. Subsequently, a longitudinal field experiment is conducted to verify the hypotheses. Results show that negative disconfirmation on time/functionality restriction positively/negatively influence the adoption of rational thinking strategy, which in turn positively influence the level of action coping. As a result, the degree to which action coping strategy is exploited positively influences the user’s willingness to pay. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.