Envy in Consumption. The Influence of Envy on Consumers’ Buying Behavior for Branded Products

Table of Contents

1 Literature Review and Envy Theory

2 Envy and the Power of Brands

3 Relevance

4 Experiment and Method

5 Hypotheses

6 Results and Discussion

7 Limitations

8 Conclusion

Research Objectives and Key Topics

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the influence of malicious envy on consumers' willingness-to-pay for branded products. By utilizing a controlled experimental setting involving social comparison, the thesis explores whether the elicitation of envy affects purchase behavior and how individuals manage their self-image when confronted with an undeserved, inferior situation.

• Psychological mechanisms of malicious vs. benign envy
• The impact of social upward comparison on consumer desire
• Role of brand stature and status symbols in eliciting envy
• Experimental methodology using a pitch-and-toss game to simulate unfair outcomes
• The discrepancy between subjective perception of products and actual willingness-to-pay

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1 Literature Review and Envy Theory: Provides a comprehensive overview of the historical and psychological foundations of envy, distinguishing between its benign and malicious forms.

2 Envy and the Power of Brands: Examines how marketers utilize envy as a tool and the prerequisites for brands to become status symbols that elicit such feelings.

3 Relevance: Discusses the significance of researching the intersection between consumer psychology, envy, and the effectiveness of brand marketing strategies.

4 Experiment and Method: Describes the design of the empirical study, including the recruitment of 80 students and the use of a pitch-and-toss game to elicit envy.

5 Hypotheses: Outlines the expected relationships between malicious envy, willingness-to-pay, and the influence of relationship dynamics between participants.

6 Results and Discussion: Analyzes the collected data using statistical software, evaluating the consistency of participant responses and comparing group findings.

7 Limitations: Critically reflects on constraints such as sample size, the selection of chocolate as an experimental medium, and gender-specific differences.

8 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, noting that while malicious envy influences willingness-to-pay, participants often exhibit a self-serving bias to protect their self-image.

Keywords

Envy, Malicious Envy, Benign Envy, Willingness-to-pay, Consumer Behavior, Brand Power, Social Comparison, Experimental Psychology, Status Symbols, Self-serving Bias, Marketing, Product Evaluation, Chocolate, Social Influence, Guilt

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research?

The work investigates the psychological influence of malicious envy on a consumer's willingness-to-pay for branded versus non-branded products.

What are the primary thematic fields covered?

The themes include behavioral economics, consumer psychology, brand management, and social comparison theory.

What is the central research question?

The study aims to determine how malicious envy, triggered by an unfair outcome in social comparison, affects an individual's evaluation and monetary valuation of a product.

Which scientific methodology is utilized?

The author employs a quantitative experimental design involving 80 participants, utilizing a pitch-and-toss game to create specific envy-inducing social conditions.

What topics are discussed in the main body?

The main body covers the theoretical definition of envy, its role in brand marketing, the specific setup of the experiment, and an evaluation of the resulting data compared to the initial hypotheses.

Which keywords best characterize this thesis?

Key terms include malicious envy, willingness-to-pay, consumer behavior, brand power, and social comparison.

How did the pitch-and-toss game influence the results?

The game served to create an "unfair" social situation, which successfully triggered malicious envy, forcing the worse-off participants to confront their status relative to the better-off participant.

What role does the "self-serving bias" play in the author's findings?

The author argues that participants used a self-serving bias to euphemize their inferior status, which explains the discrepancy between their high product ratings and their lower willingness-to-pay.

Did the experiment confirm all initial hypotheses?

No, the findings were mixed; while some effects of envy were observed, the expectation that envy would consistently increase the value of branded goods was partially contradicted by the participants' subsequent behavior.