Track 4: Goals & Motivation
Rima Toure-Tillery (Northwestern University)
4D. Identity
Friday, March 4
4:30pm – 6:00pm EST
4:30pm – 6:00pm EST
Discussant: Rima Toure-Tillery (Northwestern University)
MC: Jen Savary (University of Arizona)
Calendar Invite: Add to calendar
Student Coordinator: Archer Pan (Cornell University) (yp388@cornell.edu)
Competitive Papers
On the Flexibility of Self-Repair: How Holistic versus Analytic Thinking Style Impacts Fluid Compensatory Consumption
This research investigates when and why consumers cope with self-discrepancy by affirming the self in important domains unrelated to the self-discrepancy (fluid compensation). Across six lab experiments and one field study, we show that holistic (vs. analytic) thinkers are more likely to engage in fluid compensation because, by perceiving things as part of a larger whole, they are more likely to view fluid compensation as instrumental to self-worth enhancement. We further test the effectiveness of fluid compensation in restoring self-worth and identify boundary conditions for the effect. Finally, we discuss the implications for theory and practice.
The Disclosure of Parents’ Consumer Identity in the Microenvironment: Exploring the Role Adult Children Play in Reverse Consumer Socialization
"This study aims to explore how adult children influence their parents' consumer identity in consumption interactions drawing on a theoretical lens of the relational self, particularly in the process of reverse consumer socialization. A two-stage in-depth interview was adopted with nine One-child Chinese families (i.e. both parents and their adult child aged above 18) recruited, and 28 interviews were collected. With a constant comparison method, this study disclosed four types of dynamic microenvironments and four types of consumer identity of parents from the parent-adult child interactions in consumption. These findings contribute to the reverse consumer socialization literature by highlighting the role adult children play in the process and outcomes of building consumption relationships with their parents and influencing parents' consumer identity. Keywords: reverse consumer socialization, relational self, microenvironment, consumer identity"
Not Everyone Engages in Compensatory Consumption: The Role of Implicit Self-theories, Sales Promotions, and Compensation Domains
"People use consumption to restore their threatened identity. This research argues that whether people engage in compensatory consumption is determined by the implicit theory they hold. Results of five studies show that compared with entity theorists, incremental theorists are more likely to engage in compensatory consumption. In addition, incremental theorists are sensitive to contextual cues. As a result, they tend to compensate with products directly related to their threatened identity (i.e., within-domain compensation) than those unrelated to the threatened identity (i.e., across-domain compensation), and only compensate with full-priced products, not the products on sale. "
I Love Beer from Your Neighborhood but Hate Beer from Your State: Location-based Brands, Local Identity, and Non-local Consumers
As the “local movement” continues to flourish, brands using a location-based strategy (i.e., referencing an identifiable location in their name) may stand to benefit by making it clear they belong to the same “local” area as certain consumers. However, the same strategy makes it clear to other consumers the brand is from a geographic out-group. While location-based brands must affix their geographic identity to a certain location level (e.g., state, city, or neighborhood), we find consumers’ own local identity levels are dynamic and can be influenced by a brand’s location-based strategy, which in turn impacts their evaluations of the brand.
Flash Talks
Advertising Stigmatized Well-Being Products: Stick to Social Norms or Break the Stigma?
Though encouraging the adoption of stigmatized well-being products is a challenge for brand managers and policymakers, existing literature does not provide clarity on appropriate communication strategies for this purpose. Prior research on stigma provides contradictory perspectives for promoting such “unmentionable” products: one suggests adherence to stigmatizing social norms surrounding these products and the other advocates for destigmatizing the products and their usage context. We find that most brands of stigmatized well-being products currently employ stigma-based advertisements, but target consumers are relatively less persuaded by them than by destigmatizing advertisements. Thus, we strongly suggest changing the advertising approach for these products.
The Downsides or Heroism: "Heroes" are Denied Praise and Have Their Dangers Downplayed
Heroes are widely celebrated, but here we explore the downsides of being called a “hero.” Consequences of being labeled a hero include praise denial and downplaying dangers. Observers judge the good deeds of “heroes” as less praiseworthy when helping others complete household tasks (Study 1), and they see the dangers faced by “heroes” as less severe and assume heroes are more accepting of risks (Study 2). These findings are consistent with moral typecasting theory and help to explain a variety of real-world phenomena that all demonstrate the double-edged sword of being labeled “hero.”
Posters
Do Mindful Online Shoppers Engage in Identity Management – Impact of Personalized Dynamic Pricing?
Technology has facilitated consumers to interact with firms through a myriad of touch points. This has altered purchase experience and consumer response to firm’s changing pricing strategies. One of the key research areas is to study how consumers respond to various dynamic pricing strategies. This paper provides a comprehensive investigation of how consumer mindfulness play a role in pre-purchase stage among price conscious consumers who are aware of personalized dynamic pricing in an online setting. The results show that highly mindful consumers respond to personalized dynamic pricing by involving in identity management. The results showed that consumers who usually are mindful of their online activities and those who get a stimulus/ (price tracking) that their online activities can be monitored exhibit enhanced self-protective measures in subsequent online pre-purchase stage than their previous search session. Finally, mindful online shopping enhance consumer engagement with the online store through multiple identities.
The Ugly-is-Bad Stereotype: Relationship Between Physical Attractiveness, Age, and Aggression Types
The present research shows that children perceive less attractive individuals to be more relationally aggressive but not overtly aggressive than attractive individuals. The findings also indicate that children consider both attractive and less attractive individuals to be more relationally aggressive than overtly aggressive. Lastly, older children are more likely than younger children to hold the ugly-is-bad stereotype.
Understanding Physical Attractiveness Stereotypes Using Fast and Slow Thinking Research Methods
Using a physical attractiveness stereotype context, the present research shows how slow versus fast-thinking research methods can influence participant responses. We found that stereotypical responses are mostly evident in participants when fast-thinking research methods are implemented whereas slow-thinking research methods lessened the usual stereotypical responses in participants.
Is Brand Activism The New Normal? Scale Development and Application
Brands are often expected to have a public position and a powerful voice regarding controversial issues in today’s society. This research conceptualizes and defines brand activism from a consumer’s perspective, develops a brand activism scale, and explores the effects of brand activism in different brand-consumer relationship contexts. Utilizing a multi-method approach, eight studies were conducted to create a two-dimensional 8-item brand activism scale and to test the scale’s validity and reliability. Two additional studies also found that consumers’ evaluation and willingness to pay a price premium is higher for the activist brand, and this relationship is moderated by gender.