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When and Why Choices for Others Diverge from Consumers' Own Salient Goals
Author(s) -
Bryksina Olya
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of consumer psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.433
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1532-7663
pISSN - 1057-7408
DOI - 10.1002/jcpy.1175
Subject(s) - salient , extant taxon , psychology , product (mathematics) , perception , social psychology , marketing , consumer choice , business , political science , geometry , mathematics , evolutionary biology , neuroscience , law , biology
Consumers frequently make choices and purchase products for other people (e.g., buying a gift for a friend). While extant research identified many factors that influence how choices for others are made, much of this literature focused on product‐specific factors or motivations pertaining to the process of exchange to understand choice‐for‐others phenomena. Little is known about the influence of consumer‐relevant factors on choices made for other people. In the current research, we examine how choices for others are influenced by consumers' own salient personal goals (e.g., to get fit, to succeed professionally). We find that consumers choose goal‐inconsistent options for others to enhance their own perception of progress toward their salient goal. This effect is most robust when a salient goal is held at an individual (vs. group) level and when the choice‐for‐other situation exhibits a relationship (vs. recipient) focus. Results of seven experiments support these claims.