ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the relationship between consumer concerns over their online privacy and negative responses they may have to digital advertising using the framework of Brehm's psychological reactance theory. Consumers may feel perceived intrusiveness, irritation, and avoidance toward digital advertising. A certain degree of advertising personalization, however, has the potential to ease negative responses and may even enhance its effectiveness. The chapter also discusses the process of how negative responses toward digital advertising are formed using the theory of psychological reactance. As digital advertisers begin to develop and find more efficient ways to collect and utilize consumer data, consumers may start to form defense mechanisms or strong tendencies to ignore advertising efforts. Negative perceptions toward advertising practices can subsequently lead to negative behavioral outcomes and avoidance is one of the major negative changes in the consumer's behavior. Consumers can install ad-blocking software, services, and applications to avoid ads in the internet environment.
