Values in Action: Unveiling the Impact of Self-Transcendence and Self-Enhancement on Domestic Consumption Choices.
Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) March 4, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/bs14030203 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPersonal values influence intentions to buy domestic products in opposing ways. Self-transcendence values—benevolence and universalism—strengthen intentions by increasing awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility, which in turn activate personal norms. Self-enhancement values—power and achievement—tend to weaken those intentions. The findings come from an analysis of data from the Chinese Social Survey (CSS2021) and a separate survey of 316 participants, using structural equation modeling and Dematel analysis. The study integrates the Norm-Activation Model to explain the mechanism through which values shape domestic-product consumption.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 316 |
| Population | Chinese adults (from CSS2021 and a separate survey) |
| Keywords | Consumer behavior Domestic-product consumption Norm-activation model Personal values Self-enhancement |
| Key finding | Self-transcendence values positively affect domestic consumption intentions, while self-enhancement values impede them. |
Abstract
Against the backdrop of a global emphasis on supporting local businesses and fostering domestic consumption, this study aims to shed light on the influence of personal values on the intentions behind domestic-product consumption. Drawing from the Schwartz value theory, we explore how values of self-transcendence, which embody benevolence and universalism, versus self-enhancement, characterized by a focus on power and achievement, influence consumer behavior. Utilizing data from the Chinese Social Survey (CSS2021) and a survey of 316 participants, structural equation modeling and Dematel analysis are employed to reveal causal relationships between values and consumption intentions. We reveal a dichotomous impact of these value orientations. Self-transcendence values are found to positively affect domestic consumption intentions by enhancing awareness of consequence and ascription of responsibility, thereby strengthening personal norms. In contrast, self-enhancement values tend to impede these intentions. By integrating the Norm-Activation Model (NAM), this study comprehensively uncovers the unique mechanism through which values activate personal norms and subsequently encourage the consumption of domestic products. It enriches the body of research related to values and domestic consumption and offers pertinent recommendations for promoting local enterprises' products.