Social Status and Product Perceptions: A Social Identity Perspective on Information Processing and Product Evaluation
Harris, James Edwin
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/84515
Description
Title
Social Status and Product Perceptions: A Social Identity Perspective on Information Processing and Product Evaluation
Author(s)
Harris, James Edwin
Issue Date
2002
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Viswanathan, Madhubalan
Department of Study
Business Administration
Discipline
Business Administration
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Business Administration, Marketing
Language
eng
Abstract
Consumers use social status to learn about and evaluate value-expressive products. This thesis examines how consumers respond to products that convey status connotations. Drawing on previous research from social psychology, sociology and consumer behavior, this dissertation explores product perceptions in the context of differing social positions, and product-status levels. The research question here is whether matches or mismatches between one's social identity and a product that connotes status lead to different types of processing and evaluations. Consumers who carry peripheral class membership are predicted to engage in a different type of processing of product information than those who see themselves as more central members of a particular social class. Effects of social class membership are also studied. The moderating role of variables such as probability of future use is also examined. Theoretical implications for marketing research include an understanding of important determinants of product perceptions and evaluations relating to status connotations. Managerial implications include improved positioning strategies through an understanding of the influence of status connotations on the processing of product information.
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