Sasin Research Seminar - How Social Media Feed Sequencing Shapes Consumer Reactions: The Impact of Sequencing Sacred Posts Followed by Profane Posts

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How Social Media Feed Sequencing Shapes Consumer Reactions: The Impact of Sequencing Sacred Posts Followed by Profane Posts

By: Amitava Chattopadhyay Professor of Marketing, The GlaxoSmithKline Chaired Professor of Corporate Innovation Date: Friday, February 20, 2026 Time: 15.00-16.00 (Bangkok Time) Format: Hybrid Session Venue: Speaker will join online; On-site viewing room at Room 201, Sasin School of Management Register here to reserve your seat Abstract:Consumers spend substantial time on social media platforms, where feeds are typically curated by algorithms that select and rank individual posts by predicted engagement. We argue that consumers’ reactions are also shaped by how posts are sequenced. Across ten studies (nine preregistered), we show that sequences in which counter-sacred content (e.g., advertisements, memes) follows high sacredness content (e.g., posts about heroism, leaders, or babies) are perceived as more inappropriate than when it follows low sacredness content. Perceived inappropriateness of the sequence in turn reduces engagement (e.g., on observed behavior such as “liking” the counter-sacred content) and leads to unfavorable evaluations of the platform, algorithm, content-creator, and brand. We find that this perception arises because counter-sacred content intrudes on the psychological space consumers need after encountering high sacred content. Consistent with this account, this effect attenuates when the sequence is reversed. Furthermore, consumers hold expectations about others’ posting behavior: individuals who post counter-sacred content after sacred content are judged as less moral, and engagement with their counter-sacred content is reduced. Allowing more time to elapse between sacred and counter-sacred content alleviates these negative outcomes. These findings extend theories of the sacred and profane, inform research on algorithm design, and offer managerial implications for platforms and content creators regarding how to sequence content online.   For more information please contact +66-2218-4000 ext. 84095 or [email protected].