What You See is What You G(u)e(s)t: How Profile Photos and Profile Information Drive Providers’ Expectations of Social Reward in Co-usage Sharing

Co-usage sharing involves social interactions between providers and consumers. Previous research established that individuals’ motivation to engage in such transactions are not only driven by economic factors but also by expectations about the social reward that can be gained from them. This research develops a theoretical model to understand providers’ expectations of social reward and considers how they draw on the consumer’s user representation (profile photo and information) being the only cues available to them.