c5: the self

• We buy products to highlight and hide aspects of the self
• Eastern and Western cultures see the self as an inner private self and the outer public self
• Self-concept is the Beliefs a person holds about their own attributes, and how they evaluates these qualities
• Attribute dimensions include:

  • Content
  • positivity
  • intensity
  • stability over time
  • accuracy
• Self-concept can be stable over time, but can be influenced by situational factors
• Self-esteem Refers to the positivity of your attitude toward yourself. someone with a Low self-esteem Thinks they will not perform well vs. someone with High self-esteem will Think they will be successful and will take risks
• the Ideal self is our own Concept of how we would like to be
• our Actual self is a More realistic appraisal of the qualities we have. Products can Help us reach ideal self and Be consistent with our actual self.
• Impression management is when we work hard to “manage” what others think of us. an example of this is strategically engaging in products and behaviours to impress
• Symbolic Interactionism is when Relationships with others play a large part in forming the self
• Looking-glass self is our process of imagining the reactions of others toward us. we take readings of our own identity by “bouncing” signals off others
• a process of reflexive evaluation occurs when an individual attempts to define the self
• a Self-fulfilling prophecy is When we pattern our behaviour based on the perceived expectations of others.
• products and activities = constellations
• the Symbolic self-completion theory says that People, who have an incomplete self-definition, complete their identity by acquiring and displaying associated symbols
• Compensatory consumption happens When the consumer is threatened or lacking on a particular dimension, which may lead them to consume in ways to cope with this threat
• Self-image congruence models means We choose products when attributes matches the self. it's like a process of cognitive matching between product attributes and the consumer’s self-image
• the extended self consists of external objects that are considered a part of us. there are 4 levels of extended self:

  • individual
  • family
  • residence & furnishings
  • community
  • social + other groups
• the digital Self is when we Strategically “modify” our online personalities. some people create additional identities via avatars
• Wearable Computing refers to Digital interactions becoming/inserting into our bodies as companies offer ways to implant computer chips into our wrists. for example, Numerous wearables with big health implications are already available or under development
• many societies still expect traditional roles dependent on your gender. men are expected to take on agentic roles like being assertive. females are expected to take on communal roles, like fostering relationships.
• Sex-typed traits are characteristics we stereotypically associate with a certain gender
• Androgyny is the Possession of both masculine and feminine traits
• body image refers to a consumer's subjective evaluation of their physical self
• body cathexis is a person's feelings about their body. for example someonw with strong body cathexis frequently purchases grooming products
• grant mccracken found that men tend to be more reluctant to talking about their hair. he also found that men tend to be secertive about dyeing their hair