Spatial captivity: When consumers dislike or like feeling constrained by material surroundings in service settings
Abstract
Anyone who has sat in a cramped economy-class airplane seat knows that physical constraints in one’s immediate surroundings can meaningfully shape service experiences. These constraints differ from those found in shared spaces such as crowded retail stores, where limited room arises from high human density rather than fixed structural boundaries. Despite their prevalence, such individual spatial constraints in various service settings have received little attention in consumer research. To address this gap, this research introduces and explores the phenomenon of spatial captivity, defined as perceived physical limitations on an individual’s free movement in the immediate material surroundings. Using a multimethod approach—including field data, surveys, and experiments across diverse service contexts—the authors examine the nature and consequences of spatial captivity. While it generally exerts a negative effect on customer satisfaction, this effect is counteracted in the presence of psychological threats, where feelings of protection induced by spatial captivity can positively influence customer satisfaction. These results have implications for consumers, managers, and policy makers as they attempt to manage and navigate physical space limitations.
Keywords
Space; Limitations; Captivity; External threat; Protection