The more envious the consumer, the more impulsive? The moderating role of self-monitoring and product type
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 16 November 2021
Issue publication date: 9 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aimed to explore the influence of envy on impulsive consumption from aspects of the internal psychological mechanism and boundary conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on social comparison theory, four studies were conducted in this research: The first study explored the effect of envy on impulsive consumption; the second study explored the moderating effect of self-monitoring and the mediating effect of materialism; the third study explored the moderating effect of product type and the fourth study explored the effectiveness of social comparison contexts on the arousal of envy.
Findings
Study 1 showed that envy could significantly trigger consumers' impulsive consumption. Study 2 indicated that participants experiencing self-monitoring had a higher level of materialism and a stronger propensity to consume impulsively once the emotion of envy emerged. Study 3 suggested that when participants were more envious, their levels of materialism increased with more impulsivity to buy material products. Study 4 revealed that upward comparisons led to a higher level of envy and re-validated the mediating role of materialism between envy and impulsive consumption.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides evidence for the association between envy and consumer behaviour and clarifies the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between envy and impulsive consumption.
Practical implications
Marketers could take advantage of consumers' envy after social comparisons without damaging brand image.
Originality/value
First, this study extended the effects of envy on consumer decisions, suggesting that envy stimulates impulsive consumption by increasing consumers' materialism. Second, this study revealed the boundary condition of product type, namely, material and experiential.
Keywords
Citation
Cui, J., Zhang, M., Yin, C., Li, L. and Zhong, J. (2022), "The more envious the consumer, the more impulsive? The moderating role of self-monitoring and product type", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 34 No. 9, pp. 1922-1942. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-06-2021-0399
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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