{"title":"Exploring the Relationship Between Female Conspicuous Consumption and Mating Goals","authors":"Kumju Hwang, Lei Zhang","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study explores the relationship between female conspicuous consumption behaviors and mating goals (i.e., mate attraction or mate guarding) from an evolutionary psychology perspective as well as male response and attitude toward these behaviors. Study 1 demonstrates that females with high power are more likely to engage in conspicuous consumption under mate-guarding conditions, whereas those with low power are more inclined to do so under mate-attraction conditions. Study 2 reveals that males associate females who prefer luxury brands with higher financial expectations from their partners and that conspicuous consumption may deter males' affiliative behaviors. Additionally, males tend to perceive females as more authentic when their conspicuous consumption aligns with their level of power, enhancing their perceptions of physical attractiveness and eliciting more positive reactions. Conversely, if there is a discrepancy between female power and consumption behavior, males respond negatively. These insights not only contribute to the fields of evolutionary and consumer psychology by illustrating how consumer behaviors can be interpreted through the lens of human mating strategies but also inform marketing strategies. The current research suggests that understanding the underlying motivations for consumer preferences for luxury goods can lead to more effective marketing approaches and open new avenues for research on the evolutionary psychology of human mating.</p>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijcs.70067","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jolien L. Arendsen, Britta C. Brugman, Guido M. van Koningsbruggen, Marieke L. Fransen
{"title":"Terror Management Theory in the Consumer Domain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Mortality Salience Driven Consumer Responses","authors":"Jolien L. Arendsen, Britta C. Brugman, Guido M. van Koningsbruggen, Marieke L. Fransen","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70056","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine terror management theory (TMT) in the consumer behavior domain. TMT postulates that existential anxiety (i.e., mortality salience) drives people to invest in anxiety buffers, affecting many different behaviors, including consumer responses. Due to the broad nature of these responses, we distinguished three categories: “I want more” (e.g., more money, brands, and products), “protect my culture” (e.g., preferring domestic and old products to foreign and new ones), and “pro-social” responses (e.g., donating or sharing money). One hundred and twelve experiments were included in the systematic review, which revealed a large variety in the studied dependent variables, randomly studied moderating variables, and inconsistent outcomes. Seventy studies (with 125 effect sizes) were included in the meta-analysis, which yielded a small but positive overall effect size (<i>g</i> = 0.21) of mortality salience on consumer responses, with similar results across the three categories (<i>g</i> between 0.13 and 0.30). While research in the TMT consumer domain is very dispersed, the analyses provide some support for the mortality salience hypothesis. We recommend researchers to further explore why certain consumer responses are evoked by mortality salience and make use of preregistered and high-powered experiments.</p>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijcs.70056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143849067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Artificial Intelligence in Frontline Service Encounters: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda","authors":"Sneha Rose George, Manu C, Manoj Edward","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Over recent years, the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled businesses worldwide to employ AI-driven service agents to deliver frontline services to their customers. This paradigm shift has also increased scholarly attention to consumer behavior research in AI-driven frontline service encounters. Nevertheless, the existing body of knowledge in this domain lacks coherence and consistency, with disparate findings scattered across numerous disciplines. In this context, a critical and comprehensive overview of the existing literature in this domain is essential. Therefore, to provide an updated and comprehensive understanding of consumer research in this fast-growing domain, we systematically analyzed 157 articles. Using the popular TCCM framework, we offer a detailed overview of the theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies used in the prior studies in this domain. The research also presents an integrated framework considering the independent variables, mediators, and moderators influencing customer outcomes. This analysis identifies several research gaps and suggests potential opportunities for further investigation that pertain to major emerging topics and overlooked areas. This review enhances the understanding of consumer reactions to AI-driven frontline service encounters and offers novel insights for both the literature and managerial practice regarding the implementation of AI in frontline services.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143840765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abdulalem Mohammed, Abdullah Kaid Al-Swidi, Alberto Ferraris, Fauzia Jabeen
{"title":"Mobile Payments in Health Crisis: A Comprehensive Approach to Analyzing Consumer Behavior in Emerging Markets","authors":"Abdulalem Mohammed, Abdullah Kaid Al-Swidi, Alberto Ferraris, Fauzia Jabeen","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates the primary elements that affect the acceptance of mobile payment systems (MPS) in emerging markets during health emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak. By integrating the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) with the Health Belief Model (HBM), as well as incorporating constructs like trust and uncertainty avoidance, the research provides comprehensive insights into MPS usage behavior in emerging markets. Data were collected from 362 participants in Saudi Arabia via an online survey. The collected data underwent analysis using two methods: partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA). The results indicate that the intention to adopt MPS is significantly influenced by perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, social influence, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and trust. However, hedonic motivation does not exert a meaningful impact. Furthermore, uncertainty avoidance moderates the relationship between user intentions and the actual utilization of MPS, highlighting the cultural dimension's role in technology adoption during crises. These results offer valuable theoretical contributions by bridging health-related constructs with technology adoption frameworks, while also providing actionable insights for practitioners. Policymakers and businesses can leverage these findings to enhance MPS adoption by addressing users' perceived risks, building trust, and tailoring strategies to cultural contexts, particularly during health emergencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijcs.70063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143836034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unboxing Gender Differences Toward Impulsive Buying Tendency in Live-Streaming Shopping","authors":"Xi Luo, Jun-Hwa Cheah, Xin-Jean Lim","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70055","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Impulsive buying behavior plays a crucial role in determining the success of live-streaming commerce (LSC). Despite the widespread popularity of LSC, there exist two notable gaps. The primary aim of this study is to close the gaps by examining how social environmental stimuli trigger unplanned purchases using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. Additionally, this study explores how gender moderates the relationships among social environmental stimuli, customer engagement, and impulsive buying tendencies in the LSC. The research analyzed data collected from 735 Millennial live-streaming shoppers, utilizing the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The obtained findings indicate that streamer interaction quality and streamer credibility significantly affect information quality and customer engagement, ultimately influencing impulsive purchases. Furthermore, the multiple groups analysis suggests distinct roles for both males and females within these relationships. This research contributes to the fields of retailing and customer behavior, providing practical insights for professionals seeking effective strategies to encourage impulsive buying among customers in the LSC environment.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143836095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Decoding Consumer Sentiments and Emotions in the Metaverse","authors":"Eonyou Shin, Chreston Miller","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study explored the dominant features and experiences of the metaverse as discussed on social media along with the sentiments and emotional responses associated with these experiences through the lens of the uses and gratifications theory and the appraisal theory of emotion. Using topic modeling, sentiment, and emotion analyzes, this study identified 16 topics categorized into three primary themes: immersive and collaborative experiences, functional and analytical needs, and community engagement and financial gains. Positive sentiments were commonly associated with virtual events, creative activities, and financial opportunities (e.g., parcel, land, and spaces), while negative sentiments stemmed from security concerns, market fluctuations, and unmet expectations. The range of emotions expressed, including joy and fear, reflects the nuanced nature of user experiences. The predominance of neutral sentiment suggests that metaverse-related topics are addressed in an informational or analytical manner rather than an overtly emotional one. This study contributes to the growing research on metaverse engagement, offering valuable implications for researchers, marketers, and developers seeking to enhance user experiences and address key challenges in virtual environments.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multiple Medium-Sized Rewards Outperform One Large Reward in Draws","authors":"Aihui Ding, Xiaojun Ding, Sha Zhang","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Uncertain rewards can incentivize consumers to publish product reviews on social media or make referrals to friends. When the incentives take the form of multiple draws, consumers have the chance to win different reward combinations, such that they might feature multiple medium-sized rewards (e.g., $10, $12, $13, $15, $20) or several small and one large reward (e.g., $1, $2, $3, $4, $60). As the current research establishes, the former version induces greater motivation, even if it promises the chance of a smaller sum of total winnings, because consumers perceive a greater likelihood of winning a desirable reward, compared with the odds of winning the one large reward. This superior motivating effect is contingent on similar probabilities of winning each reward in the next draw. In addition to clarifying how consumers respond to uncertain rewards and their structures, this study advances understanding of the motivational uncertainty effect and also identifies the perceived likelihood of winning another desirable reward as a key underlying mechanism. The practical insights that result from these findings indicate that marketers can use multiple medium rewards effectively to incentivize consumers.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Duc Hoang, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro, Sofia Kousi, Luis F. Martinez
{"title":"Luxury Fashion Apps: Functional and Hedonic Customer Experiences","authors":"Duc Hoang, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro, Sofia Kousi, Luis F. Martinez","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study explores the experience continuance intention of Millennial fashion enthusiasts to use luxury fashion mobile apps. We conducted a hybrid thematic, longitudinal qualitative study that included in-depth semi-structured interviews with 26 Millennials, including frequent buyers, bloggers, retailers, and researchers. The findings reveal that both hedonic and functional motivations are significant predictors of experience continuation intent. Participants were motivated by the visual appearance and innovative solutions provided by luxury fashion mobile apps, as well as the transparency, effort reduction, user interface fulfillment, and product content that were deemed functional. On the other hand, barriers to continued use included feature inefficiency and poor social connectivity for hedonic motivation; technical defects, purpose ambiguity, lack of artificial intelligence presence, and non-exclusivity for functional motivation. This study enhances the body of literature on customer experience in the luxury industry, and the findings can serve as a foundation for future research in the luxury industry and other contexts, with implications for both academia and practice.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143809785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social Media Influencers and Purchase Intention: A Review and Research Agenda","authors":"Sainaz Sardar, T. Sai Vijay","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70046","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Recent advancements in social media influencer marketing and growing attention from practitioners have propelled academic investigation. Owing to its enormous potential as a research domain, the influence of social media influencers on consumer purchase intention has gained increasing importance. Motivated by the diverse knowledge of this emerging stream of research, we consolidated the existing body of literature through a systematic literature review (SLR) employing SPAR-4-SLR. By integrating 76 articles published in international peer-reviewed journals between January 2011 and December 2023, our review highlights the key areas of existing research in social media influencers and purchase intention. It provides an organizing framework to assist future research. We attempted to combine the stock of knowledge through the TCCM framework to identify several theories, contexts, characteristics, and methods used in this domain. Our review highlights significant research gaps and directs future research addressing key aspects such as theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies. Our findings suggest that future researchers can investigate psychological theories such as social identity, social learning, and social influence theory, among others, in the context of virtual influencers, mom influencers, travel, or food influencers. Additionally, research can examine the negative effect of social media influencers on consumer purchase intention. Further researchers can use eye-tracking and facial recognition methods to gain deeper insights into social media influencers' effectiveness. Researchers from varied disciplines, such as consumer behavior, psychology, and marketing, can gain insights from this review and conduct research in the future. At the same time, practitioners can implement social media influencer marketing in their businesses.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143818571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Breda McCarthy, Ariadne Beatrice Kapetanaki, Pengji Wang
{"title":"Don't Blame Me! Using Neutralisation Theory to Understand Household Food Waste","authors":"Breda McCarthy, Ariadne Beatrice Kapetanaki, Pengji Wang","doi":"10.1111/ijcs.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wasted food has detrimental effects on the natural environment and on society. Although reducing food waste is seen as an ethical consumption behaviour, the influence of moral norms on food waste is still under debate and research has shown mixed results. To address this research gap, a temporal, extended norm activation model (NAM) is presented in this study, and it incorporates neutralization theory to explain how people negotiate moral issues. That is, individuals use several neutralization techniques to suppress their moral norms, which subsequently influence their intentions related to food waste. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse data from an online panel of UK consumers (<i>n</i> = 358). We found pathways between neutralisation techniques, moral norms and intentions towards avoiding food waste. The research shows that people use two neutralization techniques, “denial of responsibility” and “condemning the condemners” to dampen their moral norms, which further weaken their intentions to avoid food waste. Recommendations for policymakers and practitioners are made and de-neutralisation tools are identified, such as making people aware of their internal dialogues, ensuring greater accountability in food waste reduction pledges and providing workplace training.</p>","PeriodicalId":48192,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Consumer Studies","volume":"49 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ijcs.70059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143818569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}