Conspicuous vs. non-conspicuous travel Posts: How expression styles trigger identity threat, authenticity, and dual envy on social media

Abstract

Acknowledging the growing role of social media as a key channel for tourism information and emotional expression, this study examines how tourism consumption influences viewers' psychological responses and behavioral intentions. Drawing on social comparison theory and integrating this with social identity, identity process, and authenticity perspectives, we develop a model linking expression style to perceive social identity threat, perceived authenticity, benign/malicious envy, and behavioral intention, with relationship closeness as a moderator. Twenty-six interviews (with Gioia coding) identified four core non-showcasing expression paths, informing experimental stimuli design. Two experiments (single-factor and 2 x 2 designs) reveal that showcasing expressions heightens identity threat, while non-showcasing enhances authenticity; envy mediates these effects, and relationship closeness strengthens the identity threat pathway. We enrich tourism expression research by integrating "viewer perspective" and dual-path comparison-authenticity mechanisms, offering implications for DMOs, platforms, and content creators in style management, emotion guidance, and audience engagement.