-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
Charlene Y Chen, Leonard Lee, Andy J Yap, Control Deprivation Motivates Acquisition of Utilitarian Products, Journal of Consumer Research, Volume 43, Issue 6, April 2017, Pages 1031–1047, https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucw068
- Share Icon Share
Abstract
This research investigates how the fundamental desire for control affects product acquisition. The authors propose that consumers compensate for a loss of perceived control by buying utilitarian products (e.g., household cleaning agents) because of these products’ association with problem solving, a quality that promotes a sense of control. Study 1 demonstrates this basic effect in a field setting involving real purchases, while studies 2 and 3 show that framing a product as utilitarian (vs. hedonic) moderates the effect of control on purchase intentions. Study 4 shows that a generalized problem-solving tendency mediates the effect of control on eagerness to pursue utilitarian consumption. Given the pervasiveness and ease of using product acquisition as a means to cope with psychological threat, this research has important implications for theory and practice.