Compensatory Consumption of Unique Products:Power Drives Desire for Perceived Autonomy

Abstract

This research investigates how consumers spending on identity-relevant unique product might be affected by temporary shifts in their states of power. Through pilot study, experiment 1A and 1B, it was found that individuals in powerless state increase their willingness to pay for products associated with uniqueness in identity-relevant domain, while in less identity-relevant domain they decrease their willingness to pay for unique products. Consumers increased desire for unique products in identity-relevant product domain may have roots in compensatory motive, and moderated mediation effect was found which indicates that low power individuals higher willingness to pay for identity-relevant unique product was mediated by perceived autonomy varying on the level of identity threat. This article makes new contributions to appreciating how the willingness to pay for unique identity-relevant products varies as a function of states of power and identity threat, and increases our comprehension of the role of power in consumer behavior. The link between powerless state and compensatory consumption has expansive implications both for consumers well-being and for comprehension of the psychological dynamics of power. These findings shed light on a novel compensatory perspective regarding powerless state and, by doing so, advance our comprehension of the psychological dynamics of power.