How to save the wounded self: Power distance belief's moderation of self-identity threat and status-related consumption

摘要

There is ample evidence in the relevant literature to show that self-identity threat affects consumers' behavior, psychological needs, purchasing behavior, and product choice. The present research takes self-identity threat to another level with a focus on the moderating role of power distance belief (PDB) in the relation to self-identity threat and status consumption. The research involves two studies. Study 1 shows that threatened participants with a high PDB prefer status goods to nonstatus goods. By contrast, the low-PDB group is indifferent to the status of goods. Study 2 reexamines the results of Study 2 with different participants and goods and tests the moderated mediation of symbolic compensatory need in the status consumption of high-PDB participants. The results and implications of our findings are presented in the Discussion section.