The Malleable Self-Concept: Relationships Between Young Adolescents'Self-Concept and Bandwagon Luxury Consumption

摘要

Young adolescents'are at a pivotal age where formation of the self-concept takes place through congruence of underlying genetic disposition and deep-rooted personality traits paired with values for an ideal self-concept that is derived from the social environment(Ahuvia,2005;Claiborne and Sirgy,2015).Whereas research has focused on adults(Han,et.al.,2010),branded babies(Linn,2004)and teenagers(Gil.,et al,2012)not much has been spoken about a strata of individuals that are at the crossroads of entering adulthood and rely on consumption and many a time on luxury goods to define and elucidate their identity.The purpose of this research is to explore the motivations of a strata of a population that neither categorizes as adults or children but rather are at a stage where they are still trying to develop their identity to analyze what personality traits are most eminent in the formation of the self-concept with reference to bandwagon luxury consumption.We use empirical research to investigate how the interdependent and independent self-concept relates to personality traits which include susceptibility to normative influence,need for uniqueness and status-seeking which in turn impact consumption of bandwagon luxuries for young adolescents.