Influence of self-concept clarity on advice seeking and utilisation

Decision-makers often fail to seek or utilise advice. This study examined how the extent to which individuals perceive that they know themselves influences advice seeking and taking. Drawing from uncertainty-identification theory, the heuristic-systematic model, and insights from the literature on advice, we asked participants (n = 313) to rate their self-concept clarity, and then 4 weeks later rate their confidence and completed decision scenarios in which they indicated their desire to seek out and take advice (71.6% female, M age = 20.52 years, SD = 1.50). Decision-makers with an unclear self-concept were more likely to seek and take advice from others, and this effect was mediated by low confidence. In addition, involvement with the decision context positively moderated the negative influence of self-concept clarity on advice seeking and taking. That is, decision-makers with a more unclear self-concept sought and accepted more advice, and the effect was weaker in high-involvement contexts. Results are explained in terms of need for information processing and sufficiency threshold within the heuristic-systematic model.