Why the Drive: The Utilitarian and Hedonic Benefits of Self-Expression through Consumption
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2022
Keywords
Self-expression, Utilitarian benefits, Hedonic benefits
Abstract
In response to a recent call to better understand the drivers of self-expressive consumption; this review examines the latest relevant research to identify two broad classes of benefits of self-expressive consumption. First are utilitarian benefits that result from cognitively-driven self-expressions intended to fulfill a consumer's need to create and maintain a self-identity. Second are hedonic benefits that result from the mere act of self-expression and make the consumption experience more fun and pleasurable. This discussion reflects a recent shift in how researchers conceptualize self-expression, from a behavioral mechanism to a basic human need. Moreover, the review highlights findings on various new forms of self-expressive consumption that now occur in the modern marketplace. This review thus offers insights into the positive elements of self-expressive consumption.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101320
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Current Opinion in Psychology, v. 46, art. 101320
Scholar Commons Citation
Morgan, Carter and Townsend, Claudia, "Why the Drive: The Utilitarian and Hedonic Benefits of Self-Expression through Consumption" (2022). School of Marketing and Innovation Faculty Publications. 22.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/mai_facpub/22
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
