Forecasting another’s enjoyment versus giving the right answer: Trust, shared values, task effects, and confidence in improving the acceptance of advice

In two experiments, participants received advice from another participant on a task either with a correct answer (intellective tasks) or without a correct answer (judgmental task), in which the participant had to make a forecast. In both experiments, the level of trust in the advisor and a perception of the advisor having similar values were important predictors of the acceptance of advice for a judgmental, taste forecast task, whereas advisor confidence was a more important predictor of the acceptance of advice on the intellective task. In Experiment 2, the face-to-face interactions between the decision-maker and the advisor were videotaped and coded. Advisors provided more information to decision-makers for the taste forecast than for the intellective task. Further, whether the advisor provided information to supplement their recommendation or not was a significant predictor of the acceptance of advice on the taste forecast, but not on the intellective task. The results are discussed in the context of previous research on advice, which has predominately used intellective tasks.