Abstract

Prior research has established that status threat leads consumers to display status-related products such as luxury brands. While compensatory consumption within the domain of the status threat (e.g., products associated with financial and professional success) is the most straightforward way to cope with comparisons to high-status individuals, we examine when, why, and how consumers cope with status threat by choosing to “pivot” and display success and achievements in alternative domains. Using a mixed-method approach combining field and lab experiments, incentive-compatible designs, netnographic analysis, observational study, and qualitative interviews, we show that consumers cope with status threat by signaling their status and success in alternative domains. We conceptualize this behavior as “status pivoting” and show that it occurs because experiencing status threat motivates consumers to adopt beliefs about tradeoffs across domains; that is, to believe that status acquisition requires tradeoffs and hence others’ success in one domain comes at the cost of success in another domain. We compare the prevalence and appeal of status pivoting to restoring status within the domain of the threat. We further examine when consumers are likely to engage in status pivoting and show that this effect is attenuated when high status within the domain of the threat is attainable.

中文翻译：

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状态枢纽

摘要

先前的研究已经确定，状态威胁会导致消费者展示与状态相关的产品，例如奢侈品牌。虽然地位威胁范围内的补偿性消费（例如与财务和职业成功相关的产品）是与高地位个人进行比较的最直接方法，但我们通过以下方式研究了消费者何时，为何以及如何应对地位威胁选择“透视”并在替代领域中展示成功和成就。通过将现场和实验室实验，激励兼容的设计，网络志分析，观察性研究和定性访谈相结合的混合方法，我们证明了消费者通过在其他领域发出自己的地位和成功的信号来应对地位威胁。我们将这种行为概念化为“状态枢纽”，并表明发生这种情况是因为经历身份威胁会促使消费者采取跨域权衡的信念。就是说，要想获得身份需要权衡，因此他人在一个领域的成功是以牺牲另一个领域的成功为代价的。我们将状态转移的普遍性和吸引力与威胁范围内的状态恢复进行比较。我们进一步研究了消费者何时可能进行身份轮换，并表明当可以在威胁范围内达到较高的地位时，这种影响会减弱。认为获得身份需要权衡，因此他人在一个领域的成功是以牺牲另一个领域的成功为代价的。我们将状态转移的普遍性和吸引力与威胁范围内的状态恢复进行比较。我们进一步研究了消费者何时可能进行身份轮换，并表明当可以在威胁范围内达到较高的地位时，这种影响会减弱。认为获得身份需要权衡，因此他人在一个领域的成功是以牺牲另一个领域的成功为代价的。我们将状态转移的普遍性和吸引力与威胁范围内的状态恢复进行比较。我们进一步研究了消费者何时可能进行身份轮换，并表明当可以在威胁范围内达到较高的地位时，这种影响会减弱。