“When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Shopping”: an Examination of Self-Gifting Behavior

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Shopping”: 

An Examination of Self-Gifting Behavior

 

A. Selin Atalay, Penn State University

Margaret G. Meloy, Penn State University

 

The current work focuses on mood-repair and celebration as motives for self-gifting behavior. A lab study and a field study demonstrate that both lead to self-gifting, with the mood-repair motive being more prevalent than celebration. Individual differences in self-esteem, mood, loneliness, and regulatory orientation were tested with respect to both motives.  We also examined the meanings individuals attach to their self-gifts.  Only mood and regulatory orientation led to different motives to self-gift, but each of the individual differences uniquely impacted the meanings attached to them. The results provide insights into the mood-management function of indulgent consumption.



Citation:

Selin Atalay and Margaret Meloy (2006) ,"“When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Shopping”: an Examination of Self-Gifting Behavior", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 33, eds. Connie Pechmann and Linda Price, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 259-260.

Authors

Selin Atalay, Penn State University
Margaret Meloy, Penn State University



Volume

NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 33 | 2006



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