Should you feel, as I do, your soul being nibbled away every time you put your 'consumer' hat on to go and buy something (practically anything), then let this post be a warning to you. To fight back we need to understand our enemy's mind. I realise that 'The Journal of Consumer Research' is not the most inspiring of publications to review, but it's important that we know what we're up against - think Sun Tzu.
You can get all the information you need from the title of the first article: 'Penny Wise and Pound Foolish: The Left Digit Effect in Price Cognition'. And guess what, people do perceive a lower price if the left hand digit is one less, despite the total price being only a penny cheaper.
And here's another poetic title to awaken your imagination: 'Beyond the Extended Self: Loved Objects and Consumers' Identity Narratives'. This article is so inspiring I'll allow you a whole paragraph:
"Consider the vast number of objects and consumption activities that come and go in our lives; groceries, hobbies, vacations, clothing, clubs, gifts, tools, cars, movies, investments, computers, newspapers, art, books, furniture," argues Aaron Ahuvia (University of Michigan). "From this vast sea only a handful are loved. It is not surprising then that these few loved objects and activities play a special role in consumers' understandings of who they are as people."
You need to know nothing else about the next one apart from the title: 'Credit Cards as Lifestyle Facilitators'. Please don't click the link, it might hurt.
And next up, 'The Development of Self-Brand Connections in Children and Adolescents', which aims to find out,
"...at what age children begin to incorporate brands into their self-concepts and how these self-brand connections change in qualitative ways as children move into adolescence."
Arrrrgggghhhhhh!
I could go on with these, but I won't. I'll leave you with one final insult to your intelligence, which frankly you'll be mostly oblivious to by now: 'A Multidimensional, Hierarchical Framework of Responses to Stressful Consumption Episodes'. Apparently,
"Americans cite consumption decisions as number one when it comes to everyday stress."
You mean to say that buying things is the most stressful event an American has to deal with on a daily basis?
I leave you with that thought as I walk out to the countryside, turning my back on so-called civilisation, make a small wattle and daub dwelling and live out my days as a hermit.
Now cleanse yourself at Adbusters
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