Mediation Roles of Goal Types and Emotion in the Effects of Social Identity-Based Self-Discrepancy Type on Compensatory Consumption

• Published in: International journal of industrial distribution and business Vol. 12; no. 6; pp. 75 - 88
• Main Author: CHOI, Nak-Hwan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 한국유통과학회 30.06.2021; Korea Distribution Science Association
• Subjects: Goal type; Compensatory Consumption; Emotion; Social Identity; Self-Discrepancy
• ISSN: 2233-4165; 2233-5382

Purpose: This research aimed at exploring the functions of consumers' perceiving approach and avoidance roles and their feeling anger and disgust in the effect of the two types of self-discrepancy at social identity such as the ideal self-discrepancy and the ought self-discrepancy on within-self domain versus across-self domain consumption. Research design, data, and methodology - This study divided the self-discrepancy group into the ideal self-discrepancy and the ought self-discrepancy group as experimental groups for empirical study. Self-discrepancy type between-subjects design was used to develop two types of questionnaire according to the type of experimental groups. The platform, 'questionnaire stars' of 'WeChat' in China was used to collect 103 data from the ideal self-discrepancy group and 102 from the ought self-discrepancy group for empirical study. T-test and the structural equation model in Amos 21 were used to verify hypotheses developed through theoretical review. Results - First, ideal self-discrepancy positively affected the role-approaching goal and anger. Second, ought self-discrepancy positively affected the role-avoiding goal and disgust. Third, the role-approaching goal and anger positively influenced on the within- versus across- domain consumption. Fourth, the disgust negatively influenced on the within- versus across- domain consumption, however the role-avoiding goal did not influence on the consumption. Fifth, there was the mediation roles of anger (disgust) in the effects of ideal (ought) self-discrepancy on the consumption. Conclusions - When consumers feel anger at the ideal self- discrepancy induced by in-group, it is necessary for the marketers to promote their product brand used by the in-group. They should develop and advertise the messages priming the ideal self-discrepancy and the anger to increase the intent to purchase or use their product brand when the in-group members have used the brand by relating the brand to their social identity concerned with the ideal self-discrepancy. However, marketers should help consumers feel disgust by developing and advertising the messages expressing the ought self-discrepancy to lead the consumers to the place of purchasing or using their product brand when the members have used the brand based on keeping the consistence between the brand and other social identity not related to the ought self-discrepancy.