When life throws curveballs: Unpacking consumers’ compensatory strategies

Compensatory consumption is a typical strategy used by consumers to alleviate feelings of self‐discrepancy. This phenomenon occurs in multiple contexts, and the related literature has experienced rapid and fragmented growth. This article presents a systematic review of 96 articles on compensatory co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology & marketing 2024-10, Vol.41 (10), p.2525-2536
Main Authors: Rauber, Gabriela Nogueira, Barros, Lucia Salmonson Guimarães, Zambaldi, Felipe, Perin, Marcelo Gattermann
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
compensatory consumption
compensatory strategies
coping mechanisms
systematic literature review
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Summary:Compensatory consumption is a typical strategy used by consumers to alleviate feelings of self‐discrepancy. This phenomenon occurs in multiple contexts, and the related literature has experienced rapid and fragmented growth. This article presents a systematic review of 96 articles on compensatory consumption published in 42 journals over 26 years (from 1997 to 2023). Using the antecedents, decisions, and outcomes (ADO) model, we propose a framework that covers the entire compensatory consumption journey, linking an individual's types of discrepancy with the underlying mechanisms, coping strategies, and compensatory behaviors. We also explore the positive and negative outcomes of compensatory behaviors and the potential for the process to become a continuous compensation cycle. Our findings highlight four significant themes (antecedents, compensation strategies, outcomes, and methodologies) that need to be further investigated in future studies.
ISSN:0742-6046
1520-6793
DOI:10.1002/mar.22067