Control Deprivation Motivates Acquisition of Utilitarian Products

This research investigates how the fundamental desire for control affects product acquisition. The authors propose that consumers compensate for a loss of perceived control by buying utilitarian products (e.g., household cleaning agents) because of these products’ association with problem solving, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of consumer research 2017-04, Vol.43 (6), p.1031-1047
Main Authors: CHEN, CHARLENE Y., LEE, LEONARD, YAP, ANDY J.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:This research investigates how the fundamental desire for control affects product acquisition. The authors propose that consumers compensate for a loss of perceived control by buying utilitarian products (e.g., household cleaning agents) because of these products’ association with problem solving, a quality that promotes a sense of control. Study 1 demonstrates this basic effect in a field setting involving real purchases, while studies 2 and 3 show that framing a product as utilitarian (vs. hedonic) moderates the effect of control on purchase intentions. Study 4 shows that a generalized problem-solving tendency mediates the effect of control on eagerness to pursue utilitarian consumption. Given the pervasiveness and ease of using product acquisition as a means to cope with psychological threat, this research has important implications for theory and practice.
ISSN:0093-5301
1537-5277
DOI:10.1093/jcr/ucw068