“I Am” Versus “I Do”: How Using First-Person Copular Versus Verbal Identity-Referencing Phrases Affects Identity-Related Behavior
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2026
Abstract
Consumers reference their identities using phrases that can take either copular form (e.g., “I am a Democrat”) or verbal form (e.g., “I vote Democrat”). How might the identity-referent phrases a consumer uses affect how they seem themselves? We examine how using copular versus verbal identity-referent phrases affects the consumer’s self-concept and identity-related behavior. In seven experiments, we demonstrate that using copular (“I am”) identity-referent phrases (1) increases identity self-importance more than using verbal (“I do”) identity-referent phrases, (2) spreads to closely overlapping identities, and promotes identity-congruent behavior.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1086/740065
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, v. 11, no. 2
Scholar Commons Citation
Kettle, Keri L.; Reed II, Americus; Morgan, Carter; Tinlin, Vanessa; and Garg, Rohan, "“I Am” Versus “I Do”: How Using First-Person Copular Versus Verbal Identity-Referencing Phrases Affects Identity-Related Behavior" (2026). School of Marketing and Innovation Faculty Publications. 13.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/mai_facpub/13
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
