Self-Image and Consumer Behavior

hold Review Self-Image and Consumer Behavior How Sacrosanct Self- beliefs get around Preferences in the Market come in Written by David Dunning In this hold, David Dunning questions whether or not flavors, wants, and inevitably ar the keys to closing sack in a consumers mind. He cogitates in a finale making proficiency called belief harmonisation. With this, Dunning means that in collection to march on a de terminal figureination , it whitethorn require arranging and revising wizards beliefs, needs, and preferences into a ne twainrk of cognition that produces little tension among its ele ments. He states that this al execrables for two major influences on decisiveness making.The prototypal influence is if tribe hold a crook to choose unrivaled decision over an separate, then that ordain interpolate how they perceive the crop. They will solely turn a decision on that bias and keep to it. In our book, it explains this with brand equity. The proceeds shows tha t a consumer will decide ground on the belief that this brand is improve than all of the others and not think in two ways to purchase. The second influence involves the beliefs that the consumer want to main(prenominal)tain, called impregn able-bodied beliefs. This is iodin claiming that the egotism is a moral, lovable, and exposed individual.Dunning states that many an(prenominal) decisions in the consumer human being argon establish on this belief of egotism-image, level off when the decision at hand has no relevance to the self. We obtain to highlight or hide aspects of our self. Evidence for Decision making as Belief Harmonization there is oftentimes deduction that elicit that public opinion and decision making, including consumer bearing decision making, is cognise to be belief harmonization. Dunning stated that through and through the 1940s and 1960s, race depended on the torso theory, balance theory, and the cognitive dissonance theory.However, it has be en cognize that belief and other connections atomic number 18 employ as well. This would be referred to as connectionist pattern or parallel-constraint satisf numberion. He gives a trusted example of a young womanhood purchasing a car and the dogmatic degree and ostracise chemical elements based on acquireing this car. There stand be many direct and indirect contradictions in the harmonization process. What wad do is revise what they believe in and make connections with the decision. It may draw out towards the negative factors or the corroborative factors in this decision.Dunning states that the trump out decisions should be based on the beliefs that the person possesses and will be the best indicator for it. Beliefs ar equally able to influence and be influenced by other beliefs. The Influence of Decision Outcomes on Perceptions of gossip Variables Emerging evidence demonstrates retributive how soft the causality in decision making brush off run in reverse. A preliminary opinion leaning toward one conclusion tends to alter how large number evaluate evidence in decision making. This in any crusade is a discriminate of product pickax as well.The Influence of Logically conflicting Outside Beliefs Any belief butt end bias tidy sum to initially favor one over another(prenominal). These beliefs be called outdoors beliefs and tend to be irrelevant when it comes to the decision making process. Dunning dialogue virtually how a juror decides on whether or not someone should be sued for posting negative comments on the internet. They looked at both supportive and negative sides of the defendant and never based their decision on if the defendant was a nice guy or not. feed in the consumer world has to a fault instal similar bias due to away beliefs.Evidence for Sacrosanct Beliefs intimately the Self lot commonly approach every decision with the belief that their decision takes precedence and that they atomic number 18 honorable individuals. They want their decisions to be verificatory so that their self-image is substantiating. In class, we learned some photo entertain sexment, which means that we bat to manage what others think of us. This is a factor in our self-image. Evidence for dogmatic Self-Beliefs exploreers involve showed that pack bring forth upbeat self-images, even to an delusive degree.Our psychological process that world power protagonist leave tribe with flattering views is a constant engagement in belief harmonization anchored on a self-belief. Research on self-evaluation also shows what type of moves or decisions plurality make for a positive self-image. This goes in hand with the psychel self portrayal and our concept of what we would like to be. With consumers, they intimately adapt to certain products to help us reach our ideal self and consent a positive outcome in our beliefs. Evidence for Belief Harmonization with Positive Self-BeliefsBeliefs about the complaisan t world argon harmonized with flattering self-views. The judgment of heap will affirm the positive impression of self. Culture is a big factor in the consumer world, and that is where the beliefs and self-image become intertwined unneurotic. In our book, it talks about how in some cultures, women ar supposed to foster harmonious relationships and men are supposed to be bumptious and have certain skills. These beliefs make the positive self-image in the culture that the male and egg-producing(prenominal) are in. Definitions of Social Traits and JudgmentThere are many social traits out in the consumer world today. The article talks about how people tend to emphasize specific attributes and talents that they have and de-emphasize those they do not. These beliefs guide peoples judgments. They align their attribution for triumph and failure to affirm about the self and the image it portrays. Dunning states that at times a behavior is clearly an underlying trait. quite a little ten d to adopt performance standards that prepare their have got competence and character in a good light. Evidence for Belief Harmonization in ChoiceRecent developments in the consumer psychology literature provide strong hints that self-image motives may influence decision making in the marketplace. Here are some points that bend an important role by self-image in decision making. * Self-Signaling this is the notion that people reach their decisions with an eye toward bolstering their self-images is similar to another idea emerging from work in decision making and prime(a). This is to signal the type of person they are. This explains behavior that remains curious and has been an invoice for peoples behavior.Shafir and Tversky conducted this behavior in the Newcomb problem, where it showed that a participant in the look into picked an economically inferior option to another option. * Endowment private effects People place more(prenominal) than value on an goal once they own in. Handing a coffee tree mug to a college student causes them to more than double what the mug is really worth. at a time products are associated with people, it confirms the positive impressions of that person and becomes worthful for them to have. * Compensation Effects People corrupt to compensate for perceived deficits. For example, men buy toupees to make up for hair loss.People buy products to cover their shortcomings for others not to see. * Affirmation Effects People express ideas that they are defendable to risk. Having self-esteem may prompt people to make choices with less concern. * Licensing Effects erstwhile people have gained solid evidence that they possess some strong trait, they act in a way that could potentially violate that they have that trait. This arises in consumer choice many times. Future Questions Dunning commissiones on one specific sacrosanct belief, which is that the self is a lovable and capable person.He feels as though there could be other beliefs that make up as well. People possess ain self-esteem but also can possess collective self-esteem. This very much indeed influences peoples decisions and behavior in the marketplace. Also, beliefs that people seek might involve specific ones or or else a more overall oecumenical one about the self as a whole. Willer studies on masculinity suggested that people bolster specific self-values. Also, many suggest that people are not as refer with specific self-views as they are worried over a widely distributed sense of self-worth. Automatic versus Deliberative disposition of Self-Image MotivesAnother issue would be whether the impact of self-based sacrosanct beliefs is deliberative or automatic in nature. Dunning believes that the impact of self-beliefs might be more automatic in nature. He argues that the term automatic can be the case that the process of affirming favorable self-beliefs is beyond peoples control. Also that is may be the case that this process occurs belo w peoples awareness they may neglect any perspicacity that their choices are influenced by concerns over the self. However, peoples preferences can impose its influence below a persons awareness.The Moderating economic consumption of Self-Esteem For sacrosanct beliefs about the self to influence consumer psychology, people must presumptively have those sacrosanct beliefs, and people with low self-esteem may not have positive views to maintain. In the consumer realm, one could contract whether low self-esteem people will work as energetically as their high self-esteem peers harmonize consumer decisions with positive views of self. The Moderating Role of Culture/Implications of merchandising As I discussed in this composition earlier, culture is another condition with how consumers make decisions.People in North America and westerly Europe work to bolster their self-esteem. In the West, people seem more concerned with individuality and in the East they focus on the collective se lf. Self-Image concerns may also carry implications for effective marketing check to Dunning. People tend to state that they are motivated to do good work in their job for reasons like personal growth, whereas other people are more motivated by money. That is how it works with decisions in consumer buying. People are influenced by social status.This article suggests that marketers should be mindful of the motivations that people are likely to cite as prime considerations for their purchases. In conclusion, the article is about how consumer behavior is acted and what it is based upon. There are many different factors that the author speaks about in this article. Self-Esteem and Culture are two main pieces of the puzzle when it comes to how consumers oppose to certain products. In the marketing world, we marketers have to look at these factors and how much insight it will provide us when we are trying to get into the minds of our consumers.Dunning makes very elicit arguments of how we cannot look at the picture as a whole, but yet as different segments of ourselves that all tie together with the decision making process. I conception this was a very interesting article because it shows how experiments and studies were done to prove that these are main factors with consumer behavior. It also showed me how we basically become the product and shine through the product for our own self-image. It could be even with becoming part of a group that reflects your personality, or just for your individual traits themselves.