Research Insight 8.1

Source: White, K. and Dahl, D. W. (2006) ‘To be or not to be? The influence of dissociative reference groups on consumer preferences’, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 16, 4, 404–14.

Insight: Through an experimental research design, this paper concluded that the tendency to avoid products associated with dissociative reference groups is often driven by concerns for self-presentation or self-image. If a product was to be consumed in public, then consumers were more likely to avoid choosing a product associated with a dissociative group and be more susceptible to reference group influence. The authors concluded that consumption choices in their study revealed a desire to present a positive self-image to important others.

URL: http://elearning.unimib.it/pluginfile.php/247876/mod_resource/content/1/White%20%20Dahl_2006.pdf

 

Research Insight 8.2

Source: Asch, S.E. (1955) ‘Opinions and social pressure’, Scientific American , 193, 5, 31–35

Insight: What exactly is the effect of the opinions of others on our own beliefs? In other words, how strong is the urge toward social conformity? The question is approached through some unusual experiments in this study.

URL: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/opinions-and-social-pressure/

 

Research Insight 8.3

Source: Thomas, T.C., Price, L.L., and Schau, H.J. (2013), ‘When differences unite: resource dependence in heterogeneous consumption communities’, Journal of Consumer Research, 39, 5, 1010–1033.

Insight: Although heterogeneity in consumption communities is pervasive, there is little understanding of its impact on communities. This study shows how heterogeneous communities operate and interact with the marketplace. Specifically, the authors draw on actor-network theory, conceptualizing community as a network of heterogeneous actors (i.e., individuals, institutions, and resources), and examine the interplay of these actors in a mainstream activity-based consumption community—the distance running community. The findings derived from a multi-method investigation show that communities can preserve continuity even when heterogeneity operates as a destabilizing force. Continuity is preserved when community members depend on each other for social and economic resources: a dependency that promotes the use of frame alignment practices. These practices enable the community to (re)stabilize, reproduce and reform over time. The authors also highlight the overlapping roles of consumers and producers and develop a dimensional characterization of communities that helps connect prior research on brand communities, consumption subcultures, and consumer tribes.

URL: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.1086/666616?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21105054028343

 

Research Insight 8.4

Source: Epp, A.M. and Price, L.L. (2008), ‘Family identity: a framework of identity interplay in consumption practices’, Journal of Consumer Research , 35, 1, 50–70.

Insight: “Being a family” is a vitally important collective enterprise central to many consumption experiences and replete with new challenges in contemporary society. We develop a framework to learn how families draw on communication forms and use marketplace resources to manage interplays among individual, relational (e.g., couple, sibling, parent‐child), and collective identities. Our framework also outlines potential moderators of this identity‐management process. To demonstrate the value of our framework for consumer researchers, we propose numerous research questions and offer applications in the areas of family decision making, consumer socialization, and person‐object relations.

URL: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.1086/529535?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21105054028343

 

Research Insight 8.5

Source: Henkel, A.P., Boegershausen, J., Ciuchita, R., and Odekerken-Schröder, G. (2017), ‘Storm after the quiet: How marketplace interactions shape consumer resources in collective goal pursuits. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2, 1, 26–47.

Insight: This qualitative research focuses on the experiences of nine families after they learn that a child is disabled, and considers the consumption challenges the families face given their new circumstances. The authors examine how family goals and purposes change, and how consumption is aligned towards achieving these goals, offering insights into marketplace interactions at times of transition.

URL: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/690463