Showing papers in "Journal of Consumer Behaviour in 2009"

Narratives of ‘green’ consumers — the antihero, the environmental hero and the anarchist

Abstract: Environmental policy makers and marketers are attracted by the notion of green consumerism. Yet, green consumerism is a contested concept, allowing for a wide range of translations in everyday discursive practices. This paper examines how young consumers construct their images of green consumerism. It makes a close reading of three narratives reflecting available subject positions for young green consumers: the Antihero, the Environmental Hero and the Anarchist. It reveals problems in the prevailing fragmented, gendered and individualistic notions of green consumerism, and discusses implications for policy and marketing practitioners. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

From Trash To Treasure And Beyond: The Meaning Of Voluntary Disposition

Abstract: Extant consumer research literature focuses on the subtleties, multiplicity of meanings, and values consumers attach to acquisition of personal possessions. Researchers have devoted less attention to consumers' disposition behaviors, including factors that influence disposition decisions. This paper explores voluntary disposition using data gathered through participant observations and in-depth interviews with a range of consumers, including those involved in clothing exchange (CE) events. The findings provide support for the a priori themes of values and consumption patterns, extending the life of self and goods, and consumers' self-concept. Additionally, the findings yield emergent themes of role transitions, role models and family patterns, and shared community. Utilizing our findings, and extant literature, we propose a conceptual Framework of Voluntary Disposition that can be utilized to analyze further meanings of consumer disposition patterns in different contexts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The sacrifice of re‐use: the travels of leftovers and family relations

Abstract: This paper focuses on food divestment practices surrounding the consumption of food leftovers in a domestic context. It argues that divestment practices of consuming food leftovers are not the last and disconnected point of a linear consumption process; rather they influence previous and subsequent consumption practices. Drawing on research among middle class British families it shows that consuming leftovers implies a set of practices, (classifying, selecting, storing and re-using) which transform leftovers from polluted to clean food re-admissible to the table. Leftovers' consumption has analogies with the process of sacrifice. It is an everyday thrift practice through which consumers produce excess value to be designated for extraordinary food consumption wherein the family as a whole entity is celebrated. Consuming leftovers requires a high degree of admission to the family and thus only family members, and some of them more than others, are called to such a sacrifice. Therefore it is not only during extraordinary food consumption that familial bonds are reinforced, rather is also during the everyday practice of consuming leftovers that familial bonds are sustained and perpetuated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Religion, religiosity, and South Korean consumer switching behaviors

Abstract: This study investigated the relationship between religious affiliation and level of religiosity and consumer product- and store-switching behavior among South Korean consumers. Comparisons in switching behavior are reported for three different denominational groups prevalent in South Korea (Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism), non-religious affiliated respondents, and among persons exhibiting different levels of religiosity. Religious affiliation, including non-affiliation, was not found to be significantly related to switching behavior. However, consumers reporting high levels of religiosity were found to be significantly less likely to engage in product purchase- and store-switching behaviors than those reporting lower levels of religiosity. Consumers reporting high levels of religiosity are also less likely to engage in product purchase switching behavior than non-religious affiliated consumers (i.e., no religiosity consumers). This pattern held across denominations. Statistically significant differences in switching behavior were not obtained between consumers reporting low levels of religiosity and those respondents who expressed no religious affiliation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The importance of brands in the lunch-box choices of low-income British school children.

Abstract: This research explores the consumer socialisation of children and adolescents from low-income groups. In particular, the importance of reference groups in cognitive development and understanding is investigated to gain insight into the consumption behaviours immediately before, during and after their 'tweens'. 'Tweens' are defined as 8–12-year-olds. To gain a thorough insight into changes in opinion during tweenage years, 7-, 11- and 14-year-olds were interviewed in this study. In total 30 children from these three age groups were (depth) interviewed and their discourses were compared to show the development in understanding of brands and peer influence. Whereas previous studies have concentrated on the symbolism behind clothing brands this research looks at the meanings attached to different types of food and beverage brands. Our interviews suggest peers become more influential to consumption decisions as children move through the tweens and in our study, peer approval replaces family as the main influence behind consumption behaviour. Brand understanding also changes as the child becomes older; children learn how to identify commercial, supermarket and budget brands and attach meaning to these different types of brands. The symbolic meaning of products and brands become more complex during the tween years as children view possessions as material symbols of identity and make inferences about peers based on their consumption choices. This research found that as children become older even simple products change from functional to symbolic items. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Consumer advisors revisited: What drives those with market mavenism and opinion leadership tendencies and why?

Abstract: Consumers with a tendency toward market mavenism (MM) and opinion leadership (OL) represent powerful forces in the marketplace because of their influence on other consumers' consumption decisions. They are thus important consumer groups for both other individuals and companies. Little is known, however, about the motives that drive these individuals. Additionally, research has not explored the consequences of the market mavenism tendency (MMT) and OL. Research is thus needed to tap into and compare factors that influence MMT and OL as well as variables that are influenced by MMT and OL. A key goal of the current study is to determine whether individuals with a tendency toward MM and opinion leaders are consumers who are more or less satisfied and loyal than other consumers. This study investigates product involvement and need for variety (NFV) as antecedents of MMT and OL and looks into their relationship with satisfaction and loyalty. Using data from 1145 German consumers in four product categories (i.e., wine, clothing, cars, and cameras) and applying structural equation modeling, it was found that opinion leaders have higher levels of product category involvement than individuals with a tendency toward mavenism, while the latter have a higher NFV than opinion leaders. Finally, opinion leaders and individuals with a tendency toward mavenism have higher levels of satisfaction, and the first are more loyal consumers, but this varies across product categories. Important implications for marketing theory and marketing practice can be derived. Individuals with a tendency toward MM and/or opinion leaders could, for instance, be integrated as powerful sources in the context of co-producing products and services. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Disposal and simple living: exploring the circulation of goods and the development of sacred consumption

Abstract: This study examines how consumers who engage in voluntary simplicity experience disposal in relation to changes in their values, identity, and lifestyle. The hermeneutic analysis shows disposal organized around three main themes: "desire for emancipation," "sacrificing the surplus," and "moving toward the sacred." Each theme offers insights on disposal as a transcendental experience during which consumers relocate consumption meanings from the profane to the sacred. On the one hand, the practice of disposal symbolizes a distance from the profane marketplace and its constraining norms and on the other hand, it leads consumers to participate in the life of objects and to construct sacred consumption. Here, goods are removed from the profane commerce and transferred to sacredness with an eternal life of transit between hands and ownership. As such, goods can be regarded as alive, physically moving from one person to another. This article concludes that voluntary disposal can be seen as a form of empowerment. Through disposal, consumers participate in the life of objects. By contributing to the circulation of the material, consumers have the power to transform an act of pure elimination into a transcendental experience that prefigures the death of profane consumption and the birth of sacred consumption.

Impulsive donation decisions during online browsing of charity websites

Abstract: Although online fundraising by charitable organisations is now commonplace, many aspects of effective online fundraising remain unexamined. In particular, little is known about the nature and determinants of impulsive donation decisions taken by browsers of charity websites. This empirical study attempted to help fill this important gap in current knowledge about online fundraising via an investigation of the antecedents of impulsive online giving to a hospice organisation in the south of England. Two hundred and thirty-nine donors who stated that their gifts had been made impulsively and 223 donors whose online gifts were reported as having been pre-planned completed a questionnaire that explored, inter alia, a person's socio-demographic characteristics, level of impulsiveness and attitude towards impulsive behaviour, charity donation history, prior knowledge of hospice issues, subjective norms and personal involvement with charity giving. The main determinants of impulsive donations were identified and the profiles of various types of impulsive giver were established. Relevant matters were investigated in the contexts of two types of web page design: emotive and informative. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘I'll sell this and I'll buy them that’: eBay and the management of possessions as stock

Abstract: In this paper we document practices associated with selecting and selling previously owned goods through the online auction house and marketplace, eBay. More specifically, we discuss the processes through which the economic or exchange values of previously owned goods are re-activated and the role eBay plays in facilitating such practices. Drawing from phenomenological interviews with heavy eBay users from various backgrounds living in the South of England, we discuss key emerging themes on the ways in which eBay is used for the disposal of goods. We find that eBay fuels practices of disposal that may encourage the transformation of the humble pre-owned good into valuable stock. Besides those curative practices which have been captured in previous research into the divestment of possessions we find that work of another kind is required to move a used good back to a commodity phase in its career. We see this as turning used goods into stock. This transformation accelerates a good's biography as it enters the realm of the owned possession and then quickly returned to a sphere of exchange. In such process, goods become assets which are reinvested to fuel promiscuous consumer behaviours. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Primacy effect or recency effect? A long-term memory test of Super Bowl commercials

Abstract: Serial position effects have been extensively studied in cognitive psychology research. When people are presented with a list of items, it is a well established finding that items at the beginning or at the end of the list are more likely to be recalled than the items in the middle of that list. Such phenomena are termed the primacy and recency effects. Although serial position effects can be applied to a number of different research domains, they are relatively less explored within advertising contexts. Only a few researchers have investigated the primacy and recency effects for television commercials, either in a naturalistic or laboratory setting. The current study follows this research direction and examines brand memories for the 2006 Super Bowl commercials.

Consumer decision making in low‐income families: The case of conflict avoidance

Abstract: This paper explores consumer decision making in low-income families. The focus is on the issue of conflict avoidance within the family when making consumption choices. Whereas previous studies have focused on conflict resolution strategies, this paper considers the ways in which families prevent conflict from arising in the first instance. These include individual control in purchasing and budgeting decisions, giving in to the requests of children and ensuring open communication about the family's financial situation. Importantly, the connections between the poverty narrative and the family decision making narrative are considered as the decision making strategies employed are not only aimed at avoiding conflict but also making experiences of poverty more manageable.

Conspicuous donation behaviour: scale development and validation

Abstract: This paper builds on the concept of conspicuous donation behaviour (CDB) through further conceptualisation and operationalisation of this construct. The paper reports on developing the CDB scale via a three-stage process, which includes five data collections using a total of 1311 respondents. The data analysis indicates that the resulting eight-item (two factor) CDB scale has face, content, convergent, discriminant and predictive validity and the CDB scale is reliable across samples. The CDB scale has the potential for significant usage in the development and testing of theory, as well as in practical applications. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Unplanned grocery purchases: the influence of the shopping‐trip type revisited

Abstract: Most literature on consumer decision-making concentrate on which attributes a certain brand evokes, how a brand is evaluated, or how well a brand can stand the competition of another brand. This is a bit funny since one of the most obvious aspects of decision-making for fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) is that most products are never considered. Recalling a typical trip to a grocery store one probably realizes that most of the products simply were given no conscious attention. Chances are that a consumer notices less than 1% (of the perhaps close to 10.000 items in a regular grocery store) enough to consider if the item is of any interest. Therefore, in the present thesis the focus is on the influences that enhance, inhibit, or affect the processing of brands, brand associations, ads, or decision criteria, prior to reaching the level of conscious decision-making. These influences are regarded as non-conscious filters, making consumer decision-making as simple and flexible as required by many situations. The filters allow consumers to notice what they search for or what they normally pay attention to, and to ignore complex, disturbing, or unfamiliar stimuli. The thesis consists of an introduction chapter and five articles. The introduction chapter provides a comprehensive picture of the common theme of the articles, namely non-conscious influences on decision-making. The articles cover non-conscious influences during each of the five steps commonly included in the consumer decision-making process. Examples of questions that are elaborated on are: Which criteria influence the degree to which people behave habitually versus respond to marketing stimuli? What is influencing the choice of decision strategy? For example, what influences people to be more loyal versus more deal prone? And what makes people learn something new from an ad instead of just rehearsing what they already new? One aim of the present thesis is to answer questions like the ones stated above. Furthermore, it is argued that these influences are active at a stage before what could be defined as full conscious control.

The effects of source likeability and need for cognition on advertising effectiveness under explicit persuasion

Abstract: While there is evidence that an endorser's likeability plays a determining role in the advertising effectiveness of explicit persuasive appeals, this paper examines the impact of the need for cognition (NFC) as a moderator of this relationship. We find that this effect holds, as predicted, for individuals with lower NFC, but not for those with higher NFC. Furthermore, the effects of explicit persuasion and the endorser's likeability on evaluations of products or services by lower-NFC consumers were found to be mediated by the attribution of self-interest. In contrast, advertising effectiveness for higher-NFC consumers was predictable only by the valence of their cognitive responses to the product. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Noneconomic goals of investors

Abstract: This study adopts a consumer perspective and explores investors' noneconomic goals. This approach shifts the focus from the investment vehicle and its performance to the investor and her/his investing goals. We explore the influence of religiosity, environmental attitude, materialism, collectivism, risk tolerance, and social investing efficacy on investors' noneconomic goals. We find that social investing efficacy mediates the relationships between the aforementioned variables and noneconomic goals. Implications for managerial practice are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Consumption of disposed goods for moral identities: a nexus of organization, place, things and consumers

Abstract: A complex intersection of a charity organization, a retail space, vintage fashion and the customers were investigated to better understand the effect of the re-commodification of goods. The convivial retail space attracted customers through the promise of something special and different. Immersed in the space, customers' moral values aligned with a type of consumption that began with disposal. However, these consumers did not belong to a politically motivated collectivity but instead addressed personal moral identity projects. The organization achieved a moral layer to its identity through its interaction with the disposed of garments, but this moral intention was different from the customers. The charity retailer transformed discarded, donated goods through processes of selection and re-presentation. It was a highly professionalized commercial outlet whose intention was to raise funds and to model ethical business practices. The retail setting was pivotal and extensive observation, visual and interview data were taken at the site. The analysis revealed that the customers espoused a view of anti-consumption, which encompassed anti-corporatism. At the centre of this nexus of practices were the garments which were disposed of through donation, re-commodified by the charity organization for their specialized, immersive retail outlet and then purchased by consumers to address their individualized moral identity projects. It is concluded that all facets contributed to this nexus of disposal practices, although the garments had a significant linking and facilitating role to play, and that further investigation is required. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Not moving things along: hoarding, clutter and other ambiguous matter

Abstract: Disposition and disposal are intriguing terms for, while they share the same roots, disposition is not usually understood popularly as a synonym of disposal. However, all disposal involves disposition as a prelude to destruction, reuse, recycling or redistribution of some sort. Here, however, disposition is considered in another sense; the relocation of an object without the attendant continuation of the disposal process. In particular, the paper considers the phenomena of the domestic hoarding of goods. Hoarding will be considered in relation to both opportunities for disposition and other types of ambiguous stuff including clutter. Following this, hoarding as behaviour in relation to the spatial disordering of material culture will be examined. Finally, the material nature of the hoard itself will be addressed. It is concluded that hoarding is an ambiguous concept without clear agreement as to its causes, characteristics, scope or significance. Its affinities with other forms of collecting, storing and arranging matter also demand further attention. Finally, the paper calls for more empirical research as both adjunct and potential counterweight to its theoretical orientation.

An application of terror management theory in the design of social and health-related anti-smoking appeals.

Abstract: Marketers and public policy makers continue to be plagued with the problem of creating effective communications, which can increase the probability of complying with risk avoidance behavior related to smoking Using Terror Management Theory (TMT) as a theoretical basis, we provide a rationale as to why traditional anti-smoking appeals focusing on negative health consequences are not impactful We use the implications of the theory to predict and show that an appeal focusing on social exclusion should be more motivating than a health appeal to encourage smokers to quit in the short and long run Specifically, we conduct an experiment designed to investigate the impact of mortality salience and self-esteem on whether college-age smokers will comply with anti-smoking messages We observe that social exclusion messages compared to health effect messages are particularly effective in reducing intentions to smoke for college-age smokers who derive their self-esteem in part from smoking Overall, our results show that mortality salience interacts with self-esteem in terms of influencing the probability of smoking in the short run and that social exclusion appeals have a stronger impact than health-related appeals both in reducing long run smoking intention and emphasizing the salience of health-related consequences of smoking Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Transformational consumption choices: building an understanding by integrating social identity and multi‐attribute attitude theories

Abstract: Transformational value offerings result when marketers bundle products, services, and experiences in ways that provide consumers with opportunities to alter who they are. Examples include universities, healthcare providers, travel and leisure services, and many other businesses that guide individuals to change in some desired and lasting way. Pine and Gilmore (1999) predict that in the emerging economy “…transformation offerings will emerge across almost every industry that today views itself as part of the service sector” (p. 168). By definition, transformational value offerings involve identity development. Thus, it makes sense to use identity related variables to explain transformational value offering choices. This paper tests a model merging social identity theory and multi-attribute attitude modeling to better understand factors predicting consumers' intentions to select a transformational value offering. A survey sample of United States Army Reserve recruits was used to test the integrated model. Results show that identity-related perceptions form the basis for evaluating the value offering's benefits and intentions to adopt the offering. The prospective consumer also considers whether his or her self-concept can accommodate that role. The proposed blending of social identity and multiattribute attitude models provides a promising framework for understanding and investigating consumers' choices to adopt transformational value offerings. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Roles of Self-discrepancy and Social Support in Young Females’ Decisions to Undergo Cosmetic Procedures

Abstract: Advertising appeals emphasizing unrealistic body images are increasingly linked to depression, loss of self-esteem, and unhealthy eating habits. Understanding the motivation of young and vulnerable populations to undergo cosmetic procedures can help modify marketing and public policy practices. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this paper confirms the motivating role of self-concept discrepancy in young women seeking cosmetic procedures. It also reveals conflicting moderating influences of different types of social support on the relationship between self-discrepancy and choice of cosmetic procedures. Our findings show that family-based social support attenuates the effect of perceived actual-ideal self-discrepancy on the choice of cosmetic procedures, while social support from friends amplifies this effect. Actual-ought discrepancy appears to negatively affect the propensity for cosmetic procedures. Discussion of the findings and implications for public policy and marketing managers are presented. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effects of option framing on consumer choices: Making decisions in rational versus experiential processing modes

Abstract: In the marketplace, consumers often encounter framed scenarios for optional product features, whereby they can add desired product options to a base model or delete undesired product options from a fully loaded model. The results of two experiments show that such option framing can influence consumers' decision making regarding the total number of finally chosen product options. Also, consumers' processing modes – rational versus experiential, can influence their choice behavior under option framing. Specifically, consumers choose a higher number of options in the delete (versus add) frame, and the effect is magnified when making decisions in an experiential mode, and it is diminished when making decisions in a rational mode. Moreover, cognitive constraints further moderate these effects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exploring memory for product names advertised with humour

Abstract: Three studies explored the effects of humour in advertising on brand name memory. Study 1 showed that humour impaired memory for products but enhanced memory for advertisements. Study 2 showed that brands that had been promoted in humorous advertisements were less accessible in memory than brands promoted in non-humorous advertisements. Study 3 separated conscious and unconscious memory components with the process-dissociation procedure 1 week after the ad exposure. The memory-reducing effect of humour was found to be due to conscious memory processes alone. Unconscious familiarity was not affected by humour. The results suggest that humour distracts consumers from consciously, but not unconsciously, remembering the brand names.

The meaning of style? Style reflexivity among Danish high school youths

Abstract: In much of the cultural theory literature on youth, style has been said to have started as an expression of subcultural class and transformed into individualized identity projects in neo-tribal sociality. This article discusses young, Danish consumers' discourses on style and style practice. The key characteristic of their style practice is the reflexivity they bring to bear on their negotiation of global style expression in local identity projects. This style reflexivity manifests itself in two themes: style switching and style code reflexivity. The article shows that consumers' reflexivity of style consumption constitutes not only a ‘folk theory’ of consumption that reflects the academic and popular vernacular of style, but also postmodern consumer research scholarship's mode of expression about style. How individual consumers handle style in a reflexive manner through folk theories of the market is unexplored in previous research on the consumption of style. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of US‐based franchising in the developing world: a middle‐eastern consumer perspective

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of US-based franchising in the Middle Eastern context of Egypt. In a review of the franchise literature, micro- and macro-level effects are identified and categorized across social, economic, cultural, political, and marketplace dimensions. A qualitative analysis using focus groups of Middle Eastern consumers was conducted. Clear evidence of “consumer agency” as a transformative force in the globalization process is revealed. In addition to confirming consumer agency findings from previous research, this study also indicates a sequential progression of product adoption over time along Eckhardt and Mahi's (2004) consumer agency categories. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Consequences of customer powerlessness: Secondary control

Abstract: This research investigated the consequences of powerlessness when consumers experience service failure with a company that has high-exit barriers. The specific consequences investigated were three types of secondary control, which are grudge-holding, avoidance (predictive avoidance), and retaliation desire. These secondary control coping strategies highlight consumers’ ability to control their personal behaviors and thoughts, even when they cannot completely control the outcomes of a situation. A qualitative study, followed by a scenario-based survey and structural equation model, suggest that the primary direct consequences of powerlessness in commercial relationships are grudgeholding and predictive avoidance, and that both predictive avoidance and a desire to retaliate are further consequences of grudge-holding. The results of this research underscore the importance of understanding the role of powerlessness and its consequences in consumer–firm relationships.

The malleable bicultural consumer: effects of cultural contexts on aesthetic judgments

Abstract: Grounded in the cognitive framework of processing fluency, this study proposes further support for the experiential perspective in aesthetics by positing that aesthetic response to the same object may be malleable, depending on how the symbolic properties of the object interact with different cultural contexts which either facilitate or debilitate the processing experience of the perceiver. The study employed an Internet experiment to test the hypotheses among 105 female Hispanic college-aged students enrolled at a large midwestern university. The findings revealed that symbolic attributes of products interact with cultural contexts to affect aesthetic judgments of (Hispanic) consumers. Aesthetic judgments were more positive when evaluating culturally symbolic product attributes after exposure to congruent contextual cues that facilitate fluent processing. The study furnishes support for the impact of environment/context on consumer behavior and aesthetic judgment, thus establishing further support for the cognitive framework of conceptual fluency in explaining aesthetic response. The study also contributes to recent literature on “frame-switching” among bicultural consumers by suggesting that these consumers navigate between competing cultural frames in response to visual primes, with resultant shifts in aesthetic judgments. Important marketing insights emerge from these findings. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Insiders, regulars and tourists: Exploring selves and music consumption in adolescence

Abstract: Adolescents, with respect to consumption and the symbolic self, are in a crucial period of identity formation. Music is significant in this respect as it has been described as a catalyst for individuals seeking to construct the ‘self’ and can play a central role in forming an identity. This paper seeks to explore the ways in which adolescent music use and consumption facilitates a greater understanding of identity formation and psychological or peer group practices. Twenty four in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 adolescents over a 6–12 month period. All adolescents were interviewed twice with a view to observing changes in music consumption practices. The author adopts the terms of insiders, regulars and tourists to illustrate the different characteristics of adolescent music consumers in the context of their varying levels of investment and commitment. Initial findings demonstrate that music is used to build social capital, to create boundaries and to enhance social inclusion and exclusion. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Out of control? An ethnographic analysis of the disposal of collectable objects through auction

Abstract: This research contributes to our understanding of disposal by attempting to foreground the journey of the disposed object rather than examining disposal from the perspective of the seller as previous consumer researchers have done. Drawing on ideas taken from anthropological analyses of objects and markets the paper provides a glimpse of the cultural biographies of a number of collectable objects as they are disposed of through the public arena of auction. Analysing the disposal of meaningful possessions through auction provides a different context and associated dynamics to that studied in previous research on disposal. Ethnographic analysis indicates that in spite of the fact that the practices and rituals of auction facilitate a process of commoditisation which erases the cultural biography of objects, still traces of their previous cultural history transfer with these objects to their new owners. The objects themselves are implicated in this transfer of meaning indicating that objects do have some kind of social agency.

Burning and cutting: Identifying the traits of individuals with an enduring propensity to tan and to undergo cosmetic surgery

Abstract: The research investigated the trait predictors of the propensity to use two beautification procedures that have the potential to harm health – the propensities to tan and to obtain cosmetic surgery. The results of a survey of 231 adult consumers revealed that a different combination of hierarchically arranged traits was predictive of the two procedures. These results suggest that different strategies are required in order to market or demarket tanning and plastic surgery. The research also made methodological contributions by revealing that two forms of vanity identified in the literature – physical view vanity and physical concern vanity – represent two different constructs rather than two dimensions of an underlying construct. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.