When the medium massages perceptions: Personal (vs. public) displays of information reduce crowding perceptions and outsider mistreatment of frontline staff.

What is it about?

The paper describes how the extent of abuse of frontline service staff can be attenuated by manipulating the nature of the way that information is provided to people about the waiting environment. When information is provided to people in a personal (vs. public) fashion this reduces people's perceptions of crowding and also reduces outsider mistreatment of frontline staff.

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Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash

Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Abuse and aggression toward frontline staff is a critical problem in service delivery with little evidence for ways in which it can be attenuated. This research suggests a simple and practical way to reduce such abuse.