Express your social self: cultural differences in choice of brand-name versus generic products.
This research examined cultural differences in the patterns of choices that reflect more social characteristics of a chooser (e.g., social status). Four studies examined the cultural difference in individuals' tendency to choose brand-name products (i.e., high-status options) over generic products (i.e., low-status options) and the underlying reasons for these differences. Compared to European Americans, Asian Americans consistently chose brand-name products. This difference was driven by Asian Americans' greater social status concerns. Self-consciousness was more strongly associated with the brand-name choices of Asian Americans (vs. European Americans), and experimentally induced social status led Asian Americans (vs. European Americans) to make more choices concordant with self-perception. These findings highlight the importance of considering external and social motivations underlying the choice-making process.
Kim
Heejung S
HS
Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. kim@psych.ucsb.edu
Drolet
Aimee
A
D001213:Asian; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing; D009042:Motivation; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013810:Therapeutic Equivalency; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult