The DOI matches its Crossref record; 7 of the 7 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Social Comparison, Advertising, and Consumer Discontent
Abstract
Consumers encounter countless advertising images during the course of everyday life. Many of these images are idealized, representing life more as it is imagined than as it actually exists. This article uses theories originating in social psychology to examine the impact these idealized advertising images have on consumers' perceptions of their lives, particularly with respect to their material possessions. Using social comparison theory as a basis, the author argues that exposure to idealized images leads consumers to compare, often unconsciously, their own lives with those represented in idealized advertising images. In addition, information integration frameworks are used to explain how repeated exposure to idealized images raises consumers' expectations and influences their perceptions of how their lives ought to be, particularly in terms of their material possessions. The result of both these processes, for some consumers, is consumer discontent and an increased desire for more.
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Cites
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Belk, R. W. (1988) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/209154 · Cited by 9,064
Influence of extraversion and neuroticism on subjective well-being: Happy and unhappy people
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Theory and research concerning social comparisons of personal attributes
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The affective consequences of social comparison: Either direction has its ups and downs.
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Cited by
An Examination of Selected Marketing Mix Elements and Brand Equity
Yoo, B., Donthu, N., & Lee, S. (2000) · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · doi:10.1177/0092070300282002 · Cited by 3,363
Social Comparison 2.0: Examining the Effects of Online Profiles on Social-Networking Sites
Haferkamp, N., & Krämer, N. C. (2011) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0120 · Cited by 457
Coulter, R. A., Price, L. L., & Feick, L. (2003) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/376809 · Cited by 431
Experientialism, Materialism, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Van Boven, L. (2005) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.132 · Cited by 318
Coulter, R. A., Zaltman, G., & Coulter, K. S. (2001) · Journal of Advertising · doi:10.1080/00913367.2001.10673648 · Cited by 270
Metadata
- Authors
- RICHINS, M. L.
- Venue
- American Behavioral Scientist
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1995-02
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 593-607
- ISSN
- 0002-7642 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3381
- OpenAlex
- W2039050291
- Cited by
- 176
- References
- 7
- FWCI
- 1.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
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