Aging Consumer Vulnerabilities Influencing Factors of Acquiescence to Informed Consent

Rapid growth in the older population raises concerns about increasing demands that aging consumers experience in service encounters. In particular, they face challenges of informed consent that require them to make decisions that support their well‐being. Building on current knowledge of factors that diminish decision‐making capacity with age, this study examines conditions under which aging consumers acquiesce to informed consent, when not fully informed. The conceptual framework and research propositions regarding the key factors influencing consumer vulnerability during the informed consent process are (1) cognitive changes, (2) sensory factors, (3) financial changes and (4) sender and receiver interaction. Theoretical and practical implications of the framework are discussed.