Finding Brands and Losing Your Religion?

Religion is a powerful force in many people's lives, impacting decisions about life, death, and everything in between. It may be difficult, then, to imagine that something as seemingly innocuous as the usage of brand name products might influence individuals' commitment to religion. Howeve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental psychology. General 2014-12, Vol.143 (6), p.2209-2222
Main Authors: Cutright, Keisha M, Erdem, Tülin, Fitzsimons, Gavan J, Shachar, Ron
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Brand Names
Commitments
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Identity
Male
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Religion
Religious Beliefs
Self Concept
Self-Expression
Social Identification
Social psychology
Young Adult
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Summary:Religion is a powerful force in many people's lives, impacting decisions about life, death, and everything in between. It may be difficult, then, to imagine that something as seemingly innocuous as the usage of brand name products might influence individuals' commitment to religion. However, we demonstrate across 6 studies that when brands are a highly salient tool for self-expression, individuals are less likely to report and demonstrate strong religious commitment. We suggest that a desire to maintain consistency among self-identities is one important driver of this relationship and find that the effect is mitigated when the perceived distance between brands and religious values is minimized.
ISSN:0096-3445
1939-2222
DOI:10.1037/a0037876