Identity and Consumption Flashcards
Identity
subjective concept of self-perception, influenced by individual experiences and groups to which they belong or wish to belong to
A person can have
more than one identity, depending on how many different types of social situations they find themselves in
Identities are linked to
they consume
What moulds an identity?
parents, siblings, friends, peers, school, societies, sports club, advertising and culture
How are identities formed?
when one reaches adulthood, they tend to incorporate feelings, motivation, political/religious beliefs, physical appearance, group memberships, age and material possessions they own to describe themselves
Social Categorization
brands and products can be used to generate opinions on what one is like
Social Categorization: Person Perception
affected by material possessions
Social Categorization: Object Perception
affected by marketing and advertising of products
Social Comparison
How people learn about themselves by comparing similarities and differences to others
Downward comparison
comparing ourselves to those whom do less well
Upward comparison
comparing ourselves to those who somehow are viewed to be more competent or desirable
Right and wrong choices despite social comparisons. E.g?
genre of music
Implications for marketers
if different goods and services do not clearly represent different values and beliefs, individuals will be unable to use them as the basis of categorization and in turn establish identities
Symbolic meanings of products
consumers make use of goods and services to 1.make sense of those around them 2.compare themselves to others 3.signal group membership
Individuas are more likely to make consumer choices in line with
how they wish to be perceived by others
Self-fulfilling prophecy
consumers can change the way in which people treat them and behave towards them because they are treated in a particular way and start to act accordingly
3 steps to self-fulfilling prophecy
- people must have expectations of what another is like 2. the one who has the expectations must be influenced by their beliefs in how they treat the other 3. the other person subsequently responds by behaving in line with the expectations
Self-discrepancy theory
ought self- the way we think we should be | ideal self- the self we aspire to be | actual self- the way we are
