Gift givers balance their goal to please recipients with gifts that match recipient preferences a... more Gift givers balance their goal to please recipients with gifts that match recipient preferences against their own goal to signal relational closeness with gifts that demonstrate their knowledge of the recipient. Five studies in a gift registry context show that when close (vs. distant) givers receive attribution for the gifts they choose, they are more likely to diverge from the registry to choose items that signal their close relationships. The authors find that close givers’ divergence from the registry is not the result of their altruistic search for a “better” gift but is a strategic effort to express relational signals: it occurs only when givers will receive attribution for their choice. They show that close givers reconcile their goal conflict by engaging in motivated reasoning, which results in their perceptual distortion of the gift options in favor of relational-signaling gifts. Ironically, distant givers are more likely to choose gifts from the registry, resulting in the ...
It's Not Me, It's You: The Downstream Effects of Identity Restriction in the Context of Gift-Giving
PsycEXTRA Dataset
ABSTRACT Prior research has established that an external threat to an individual’s identity can b... more ABSTRACT Prior research has established that an external threat to an individual’s identity can be resolved via an identity-congruent product choice which bolsters his/her identity. In the context of gift giving, we examine how purchasing an identity threatening product can itself create an identity threat. We posit that purchasing such a product can threaten an individual’s identity, particularly when purchasing for a close (vs. distant) friend who is an integral part of the self. Five experiments show that givers choosing identity-incongruent gifts for close friends experience an identity threat and are subsequently more likely to engage in behaviors that re-establish their shaken identity.
Many radio stations play the same songs over and over again, with little willingness to add new s... more Many radio stations play the same songs over and over again, with little willingness to add new songs to the playlist, despite voiced criticism. Station managers argue that they are simply giving the listeners what they want to hear. We investigate this radio paradigm to understand what is driving this discrepancy between voiced preference and actual choice. Presenting 24 songs from 12 artists (one familiar and one unfamiliar), and 22 famous actors to participants, we show that people do indeed choose to listen to songs, and see actors in movies, based on two factors: their preference (or "liking") and their familiarity with the song or actor. Interestingly, we find that the effect of familiarity on choice remains significant when we control for the effects of preference on choice. That is, participants sometimes chose a song they liked less than the other option, just because the chosen song was familiar. In a second study we control for liking across songs based on pretests and show that participants choose playlists of songs that they are familiar with despite lower preferences for these songs. Our last study tested whether the results could be explained by anticipated regret and/or social perceptions (or "coolness," which may drive people to indicate they do not like familiar songs even though they do actually like them). Using personal computers where participants actually listened to their choices on individual headphones, participants made choices first and then indicated familiarity and liking, as well as how much they may regret their choice and how "cool" they thought each song was. Though regret did affect choice, indicating the presence of some uncertainty about the options, we find that familiarity significantly predicts choice when controlling for the effects of liking, regret, and coolness.
Does "familiarity breed contempt" or is "to know you is to love you"? In this research, we explor... more Does "familiarity breed contempt" or is "to know you is to love you"? In this research, we explore the role of familiarity in music choice. We show that although consumers say they would prefer to listen to unfamiliar music, in actuality familiarity with music positively predicts preference for songs, play lists, and radio stations. Familiarity with music is at least as good, if not a better, predictor of choice as are liking, satiation (which actually positively predicts choice), and regret. We suggest that the need for familiarity is driven by consumers' low need for stimulation in the music domain, and show that when the need for stimulation decreases, the power of familiarity significantly increases. In addition to their theoretical contribution, these results are informative for music managers determining playlists, for the promotion of music events and products, and for advertisers selecting the most potentially lucrative music venues.
Prior research has established that consumers are motivated to purchase identity-consistent produ... more Prior research has established that consumers are motivated to purchase identity-consistent products. We extend consumer identity research into an important consumer context, gift giving, in which individuals may make product choices that run counter to their own identities in order to fulfill the desires of the intended recipient. We find that purchasing an identity-contrary gift for a close (vs. distant) friend who is an integral part of the self can itself cause an identity threat to the giver. Four experiments in a gift registry context show that after making an identity-contrary gift choice for a close (vs. distant) friend, givers subsequently engage in behaviors that reestablish their identity such as indicating greater identity affiliation with the threatened identity and greater likelihood to purchase identity-expressive products. This research highlights the opposing forces that product purchase may exert on consumer identity as both a potential threat and means of self-ver...
The notion of conspicuous consumption (Veblen 1899) suggests that consumers spend lavishly on goo... more The notion of conspicuous consumption (Veblen 1899) suggests that consumers spend lavishly on goods to that symbolize status and visibly communicate wealth and status to others. Analysis of multiple product categories, however, indicates an inverted-U relationship between price and the presence of logos or brand names: High-end products are actually less likely to contain such clear brand markers. Further, experimental studies show that high-end products which use more subtle markers are harder for observers to recognize, more likely to be perceived as cheaper generic equivalents, and less likely to be perceived as status symbols. This research explains this seeming inconsistency through social identity and distinction. Mainstream consumers prefer explicitly marked products which are widely recognizable symbols of prestige. Consequently, insiders prefer subtle markers that differentiate them from the mainstream and thus facilitate communication with others in the know. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for the communication of identity, brand management, and the success of cultural products.
Gift givers balance their goal to please recipients with gifts that match recipient preferences a... more Gift givers balance their goal to please recipients with gifts that match recipient preferences against their own goal to signal relational closeness with gifts that demonstrate their knowledge of the recipient. Five studies in a gift registry context show that when close (vs. distant) givers receive attribution for the gifts they choose, they are more likely to diverge from the registry to choose items that signal their close relationships. The authors find that close givers’ divergence from the registry is not the result of their altruistic search for a “better” gift but is a strategic effort to express relational signals: it occurs only when givers will receive attribution for their choice. They show that close givers reconcile their goal conflict by engaging in motivated reasoning, which results in their perceptual distortion of the gift options in favor of relational-signaling gifts. Ironically, distant givers are more likely to choose gifts from the registry, resulting in the ...
It's Not Me, It's You: The Downstream Effects of Identity Restriction in the Context of Gift-Giving
PsycEXTRA Dataset
ABSTRACT Prior research has established that an external threat to an individual’s identity can b... more ABSTRACT Prior research has established that an external threat to an individual’s identity can be resolved via an identity-congruent product choice which bolsters his/her identity. In the context of gift giving, we examine how purchasing an identity threatening product can itself create an identity threat. We posit that purchasing such a product can threaten an individual’s identity, particularly when purchasing for a close (vs. distant) friend who is an integral part of the self. Five experiments show that givers choosing identity-incongruent gifts for close friends experience an identity threat and are subsequently more likely to engage in behaviors that re-establish their shaken identity.
Many radio stations play the same songs over and over again, with little willingness to add new s... more Many radio stations play the same songs over and over again, with little willingness to add new songs to the playlist, despite voiced criticism. Station managers argue that they are simply giving the listeners what they want to hear. We investigate this radio paradigm to understand what is driving this discrepancy between voiced preference and actual choice. Presenting 24 songs from 12 artists (one familiar and one unfamiliar), and 22 famous actors to participants, we show that people do indeed choose to listen to songs, and see actors in movies, based on two factors: their preference (or "liking") and their familiarity with the song or actor. Interestingly, we find that the effect of familiarity on choice remains significant when we control for the effects of preference on choice. That is, participants sometimes chose a song they liked less than the other option, just because the chosen song was familiar. In a second study we control for liking across songs based on pretests and show that participants choose playlists of songs that they are familiar with despite lower preferences for these songs. Our last study tested whether the results could be explained by anticipated regret and/or social perceptions (or "coolness," which may drive people to indicate they do not like familiar songs even though they do actually like them). Using personal computers where participants actually listened to their choices on individual headphones, participants made choices first and then indicated familiarity and liking, as well as how much they may regret their choice and how "cool" they thought each song was. Though regret did affect choice, indicating the presence of some uncertainty about the options, we find that familiarity significantly predicts choice when controlling for the effects of liking, regret, and coolness.
Does "familiarity breed contempt" or is "to know you is to love you"? In this research, we explor... more Does "familiarity breed contempt" or is "to know you is to love you"? In this research, we explore the role of familiarity in music choice. We show that although consumers say they would prefer to listen to unfamiliar music, in actuality familiarity with music positively predicts preference for songs, play lists, and radio stations. Familiarity with music is at least as good, if not a better, predictor of choice as are liking, satiation (which actually positively predicts choice), and regret. We suggest that the need for familiarity is driven by consumers' low need for stimulation in the music domain, and show that when the need for stimulation decreases, the power of familiarity significantly increases. In addition to their theoretical contribution, these results are informative for music managers determining playlists, for the promotion of music events and products, and for advertisers selecting the most potentially lucrative music venues.
Prior research has established that consumers are motivated to purchase identity-consistent produ... more Prior research has established that consumers are motivated to purchase identity-consistent products. We extend consumer identity research into an important consumer context, gift giving, in which individuals may make product choices that run counter to their own identities in order to fulfill the desires of the intended recipient. We find that purchasing an identity-contrary gift for a close (vs. distant) friend who is an integral part of the self can itself cause an identity threat to the giver. Four experiments in a gift registry context show that after making an identity-contrary gift choice for a close (vs. distant) friend, givers subsequently engage in behaviors that reestablish their identity such as indicating greater identity affiliation with the threatened identity and greater likelihood to purchase identity-expressive products. This research highlights the opposing forces that product purchase may exert on consumer identity as both a potential threat and means of self-ver...
The notion of conspicuous consumption (Veblen 1899) suggests that consumers spend lavishly on goo... more The notion of conspicuous consumption (Veblen 1899) suggests that consumers spend lavishly on goods to that symbolize status and visibly communicate wealth and status to others. Analysis of multiple product categories, however, indicates an inverted-U relationship between price and the presence of logos or brand names: High-end products are actually less likely to contain such clear brand markers. Further, experimental studies show that high-end products which use more subtle markers are harder for observers to recognize, more likely to be perceived as cheaper generic equivalents, and less likely to be perceived as status symbols. This research explains this seeming inconsistency through social identity and distinction. Mainstream consumers prefer explicitly marked products which are widely recognizable symbols of prestige. Consequently, insiders prefer subtle markers that differentiate them from the mainstream and thus facilitate communication with others in the know. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for the communication of identity, brand management, and the success of cultural products.
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Papers by Morgan Ward