When Moral Mindsets Increase Unethical Consumption: The Influence of Religion and Moral Emotions on Luxury Consumption

摘要

What is the relative influence of an individual's level of religiosity and self-esteem on the propensity to consume luxury brands, attitude towards luxury consumption and perceived morality of the consumption of luxury brands? Through two experiments we collect information on the influence of religiosity on luxury brand consumption. For study 1, students (n = 167, M_(age) =21.0, 49% female) at a Mountain West university participated in a paper and pencil questionnaire which asked, in order, about their purchase intentions and moral affect for a luxury perfume, reasons for purchasing a luxury perfume, attitudes towards luxury branded products in general, and, lastly, religiosity. In study 2, a total of 142 respondents (M_(age) = 48.2,54% female) were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Respondents were randomly assigned to one condition of a 2 (mindset: moral, marketplace) between-subjects design. After exposure to condition, participants were told they would complete an ostensibly different study, and then proceeded to indicate their purchase intentions and moral affect for two product categories: luxury perfume and luxury sunglasses.