The person in the purchase: narcissistic consumers prefer products that positively distinguish them
The person in the purchase: narcissistic consumers prefer products that positively distinguish them
Narcissists, who seek keenly to self-enhance, strive to positively distinguish themselves. Might they therefore be inclined to purchase consumer products that enable them to do so? Study 1 found that narcissism, but not self-esteem, predicted dispositions to purchase products for the purpose of promoting personal uniqueness. Studies 2 and 3 found that narcissism predicted greater interest in exclusive, customizable, and personalizable products. Study 3 also found participants higher in narcissism regarded their prized possessions as less likely to be owned by others. Finally, Studies 3 and 4 found that interest in a hypothetical product, respectively to be bought either for oneself or someone else, covaried with an experimental manipulation of product exclusivity and scarcity, but principally when levels of narcissism were high. Our findings illustrate the impact of narcissism on consumer preferences, and support an agentic interpretation of narcissistic self-enhancement.
335-352
Seung Yun, Lee
9a5df5d6-7731-438c-88ff-f44270a035ff
Gregg, Aiden P.
1b03bb58-b3a5-4852-a177-29e4f633b063
Park, Seong Hoon
5c581a0f-f0b4-4edb-9987-031c494d6f6c
August 2013
Seung Yun, Lee
9a5df5d6-7731-438c-88ff-f44270a035ff
Gregg, Aiden P.
1b03bb58-b3a5-4852-a177-29e4f633b063
Park, Seong Hoon
5c581a0f-f0b4-4edb-9987-031c494d6f6c
Seung Yun, Lee, Gregg, Aiden P. and Park, Seong Hoon
(2013)
The person in the purchase: narcissistic consumers prefer products that positively distinguish them.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105 (2), .
(doi:10.1037/a0032703).
(PMID:23773040)
Abstract
Narcissists, who seek keenly to self-enhance, strive to positively distinguish themselves. Might they therefore be inclined to purchase consumer products that enable them to do so? Study 1 found that narcissism, but not self-esteem, predicted dispositions to purchase products for the purpose of promoting personal uniqueness. Studies 2 and 3 found that narcissism predicted greater interest in exclusive, customizable, and personalizable products. Study 3 also found participants higher in narcissism regarded their prized possessions as less likely to be owned by others. Finally, Studies 3 and 4 found that interest in a hypothetical product, respectively to be bought either for oneself or someone else, covaried with an experimental manipulation of product exclusivity and scarcity, but principally when levels of narcissism were high. Our findings illustrate the impact of narcissism on consumer preferences, and support an agentic interpretation of narcissistic self-enhancement.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 17 June 2013
Published date: August 2013
Organisations:
Human Wellbeing
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Local EPrints ID: 351251
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/351251
ISSN: 0022-3514
PURE UUID: d698c260-da6f-486f-b222-903af618e458
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Date deposited: 18 Apr 2013 13:34
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 13:37
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Author:
Lee Seung Yun
Author:
Seong Hoon Park
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