关键词: 社会身份冲突, 融合式文化混搭, 自我验证, 购买目的, 购买受益人

Abstract:

Culturally Mixed Products (CMPs) refer to products embodying components from two or more cultures. These products can be categorized into two distinct types: intrusive and integrated, based on the degree of harmonious coordination and minimal cultural intrusion. The present research centers on integrated CMPs, which are more prevalent than intrusive CMPs in everyday life. Considerable research has examined what factors influence consumer responses to integrated CMPs. This research expands the existing body of literature by introducing social identity conflict as a contextual factor that may enhance consumer preference for such products. We posit that social identity conflict elicits a self-verification motive that integrated CMPs can satisfy due to their perceived congruence with the self. We further conjecture that the positive influence of social identity conflict on preference for integrated CMPs will be attenuated when consumers acquire products for functional rather than symbolic purposes, and when they purchase products for others rather than themselves.

We implemented six studies to evaluate our hypotheses. Study 1a assessed participants' chronic experiences of social identity conflict and their preferences for an integrated CMP or a regular product. Study 1b manipulated participants' social identity conflict and asked them to choose between an integrated CMP and a regular product. Study 2a’ procedure was similar to that of study 1b, with three exceptions. First, we added an identity-synergy condition. Second, we employed the same stimuli as in study 1b, but asked participants to rate their preferences rather than make a choice between the two products. Third, we measured emotions, cognitive flexibility, novelty-seeking, self-concept clarity, and perceived product value in self-verification to investigate the underlying mechanism. Study 2b sought to further substantiate the underlying process with a 2 (social identity conflict: activated vs. not) × 2 (alternative means to self-verification: provided vs. not) between-subjects design. For participants provided an alternative means to self-verification, we asked they to recall and write down a person who could accept their conflicting social identities. Studies 3 and 4 employed a 2 × 2 between-subjects design to examine the moderating roles of purchase goal and purchase recipient, respectively.

In line with our predictions, studies 1a and 1b demonstrated that social identity conflict heightened consumer preference for integrated CMPs. Study 2a corroborated self-verification as the underlying mechanism. Study 2b offered additional evidence by indicating that the focal effect would be diminished when consumers possessed alternative means of self-verification. Study 3 revealed that social identity conflict increased the preference for integrated CMPs only when consumers procured products for self-expression, with this moderating effect mediated by the perceived value of products in self-verification. Study 4 established that the focal effect only existed when consumers purchased products for themselves rather than for others.

This research contributes to the CMP literature by recognizing a novel precursor of consumer preference for integrated CMPs and elucidating the role of self-verification in this relationship. More broadly, this research enhances the understanding of how social identity conflicts shape consumer behavior. From a practical standpoint, our findings provide valuable insights into marketing strategies for integrated CMPs.

Key words: social identity conflict, integrated culture mixing, self-verification, purchase goal, purchase recipient