Experimental replication: an experimental test of the expectancy disconfirmation theory of citizen satisfaction

The expectancy disconfirmation theory has been applied to public management research in order to test whether citizen satisfaction with public services is determined, not only by experienced performance but also by an implicit comparison of service quality with prior expectations. This study replicates what is to date the only experimental test of the theory. Using an online survey panel of Danish citizens (n = 1,425), participants were randomly assigned to receive either low or high expectations, followed by either low- or high- performance information. Our findings suggest that citizens’ expectations are an important predictor of their satisfaction with public services.