SELF CONCEPT THEORY IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Self concept theory in consumer behavior holds that an individuals have a concept of self-based on who they think they are (the actual self) concept of who they think they would like to be (the ideal self).
Self-concept is often described as the totality of an individual’s thoughts and feelings regarding him/her as an object. It’s a collaboration of subjective thoughts and perceptions that he holds. In other words, it isn’t an objective evaluation. A self-concept is composed of multidimensional characteristics, and it includes not only physical attributes, but psychological ones as well.
Some attributes that are included are: personality attributes; knowledge of skills, abilities, and talents; and occupation. A consumer’s perception is also intertwined with the various roles that he takes on, including family roles, personal roles, and professional roles. In order to reflect the image they have of themselves, consumers buy and use products that support that image.
TWO KEY CONCEPTS OF SELF CONCEPT THEORY IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
It is related to two key concepts of psycho-analytic theory, the ego and the super ego.
Ego is similar to one’s objective reality, so it’s similar to actual self.
Superego is defined by the way things should be.
COMPONENTS OF SELF CONCEPT THEORY IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
The self-concept theory in consumer behavior comprises two components, viz., the “actual self’, and the “ideal self’.
Actual self: The first, i.e., “actual-self’, refers to an individual’s perception of what/who he or she is; the second, i.e., “ideal-self•, refers to an individual’ s perception of what/whom he or she wants to be. Both of these concepts are related to each other. An individual can express his personality in two ways; depending upon the priority that is assigned, the resultant behavior would differ. For example, the person can either act out his “actual self’ and behave as he is, consistent with his existing personal make-up.
- There is no one actual self.
- Consumers have various role identities— mother, wife, working woman, volunteer etc.
- One of these roles is dominant in specific situations.
- This particular role affects the behavior (dressing style, talking, way they conduct etc)
- The amalgam of individuals roles makes up the individual self
Ideal self: The other alternative would be to act out in a manner that is close to or similar to “ideal-self”, something that he wants to be, thereby increasing his self-esteem. An individual faces a conflict when there is a big difference between the “actual” and “ideal” self, and the choice to behave as “actual” or “ideal” depends on the situational context. Thus, individual’s are not a “single self”; they are “multiple-selves”, and would act differently in different situations.
- Concept of ideal self relates to one’s self esteem.
- The greater the difference between the actual self and the ideal self, the lower an individual’s self esteem.
- Dissatisfaction with actual self will end up in purchases of such products that they think will enhance their ‘self-esteem’.
- A woman who would like. to be more modern, efficient and imaginative will use different perfumes, deodorant or shop at different stores than a woman.
- Ads that features beautiful models and luxurious life styles leaves a sense of inadequacy based on a comparison of their real self with idealized self.
- Average fashion model is 5’9″ tall and weighs 55 kgs. But the average Indian Woman is 5’2″ tall and weighs 65 kgs.
LIFESTYLE AS REFLECTIVE OF SELF CONCEPT
At times, lifestyle is reflective of self-concepts. Lifestyle refers to the way a consumer lives. It represents the external characteristics that pertain to how a consumer lives: the activities he engages in, his habits and possessions, and the interests he expresses. In other words, lifestyle represents what he sees as value in his life. This value is reflected in the way that he spends his time and money. Lifestyle is the result of a consumer’s motivations, education, attitudes, behaviours, beliefs and opinions, demographic factors, and personality.
At the same time, lifestyle also represents a consumer’s income level, marital status, culture, social class, and buying power. These different roles all combine to reflect the consumer’s lifestyle. Self-concept is complicated and multidimensional. Consumers have been characterized as describing themselves on three dimensions: role identities, personal qualities, and self-evaluations.
ROLE IDENTITIES IN SELF CONCEPT THEORY IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Role identities represent the numerous positions that people occupy in society such as student, friend, son or daughter, and consumer. People construct these identities by observing how they behave and the reactions that others form about them in each of their roles, Although society imparts role expectations on its members (e.g., friends should be loyal), individuals usually have plenty of room to improvise. It may be helpful to think of consumers as shaping their role identities within the broad boundaries set by society.
For example, all people playing the role of customer do not respond the same way to sales promotions. Some people are passionate “bargain-hunters,” while others play a more indifferent role toward sales. Because people create roles in unique ways, each person derives a different role identity even when they occupy the same position. Moreover, these differences vary widely across product category. For example, a person who is a ‘bargain hunter” for shoes may demand an expensive brand when it comes to coffee, or vice versa. When people identify their roles, they often start with occupational or educational groups (e.g., college student).
Consumers have convenient acronyms that provide ready shortcuts, especially in the professions.
- “She’s an MBA” labels someone as having obtained a master’s degree in business
- “I’m an M.D.” self-identifies a tnedical doctor
- DSO. (doctor of osteopathic medicine)
- D.D.S. (doctor of dental surgery)
ROLE OF PERSONAL QUALITIES IN SELF CONCEPT THEORY IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Personal qualities involve modes of interpersonal behavior that distinguish people from one another, such as sense of humor or friendliness. They also include internal psychological styles, such as optimism or cheerfulness that influence role identities. Personal qualities can be thought of as traits, or tendencies to behave a certain way across similar situations. Psychologists believe that traits are developed at an early age, remain relatively consistent across similar situations, and endure. Personal qualities provide consumers with opportunities to play out their role identities.
For example, people respond differently to product failures and malfunctions. Some people exhibit anger and aggression, while others are more “laid back” in response to these disappointments. Similarly, consumers who are technologically savvy may play the role as an expert whom friends and family members contact when it is time to shop for a personal computer or digital video recorder. Consumer psychologists also know that traits play out differently in different contexts. For example, a person who is classified as anxious is unlikely to express anxiety in the same way in all contexts, e.g., with a friend, policeman, or professor. Thus, using personality traits to predict consumer behavior can be a tricky business.
ROLE OF SELF EVALUATIONS IN SELF CONCEPT THEORY IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
People also perform self-evaluations by considering the adequacy of their performances in various role identities. Am I a good student or a thoughtful boyfriend/girlfriend? Am I a smart shopper? Usually, these evaluations focus on
- Competence,
- Perseverance,
- Morality, and
- Social unity
Self-evaluations also influence role identities. For example, people who perceive themselves as “athletic” are more likely to engage in organized sports than those with poorer self-evaluations. In a similar vein, consumers who see themselves as competent Internet shoppers often share their knowledge with less experienced friends.
The sum of all self -evaluations determines self-esteem, the overall evaluative component of a person’s self’ concept. Self-esteem can be considered a person’s general attitude toward him or herself Research shows that high self-esteem is associated with active and comfortable social interactions, but low self-esteem can be depressing and debilitating. People with low sell’ esteem tend to view social situations as threatening, feel more negative toward others and hence, are easily wounded by criticism. In addition, they yield more to other’s requests.
Some marketers have attempted to enhance image-related self-esteem through the inclusion of more realistic and attainable role models, Like Ethics Box regarding Unilever’s “Real Beauty campaign for Dove.
KEY DIMENSIONS OF SELF CONCEPT THEORY IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
A consumer’ s self-concept is comprised of two key dimensions:
(1) Self-focus (actual versus the ideal) and
(2) Self-location (private versus public)
Each dimension has two parts. Regarding focus, the actual self-concept represents how consumers in fact perceive themselves, while the ideal self-concept describes how consumers would like to be. The gap is referred to as self-discrepancy.
But with respect to self-location, the actual public-concept embodies others’ true perceptions of a consumer, while the ideal public-concept represents how consumers would like others to see them. The gap between actual public and ideal public concepts is known as a public-discrepancy.
Depending on the purchase situation, consumers are likely to emphasize a different self-concept. For privately consumed products, consumers may simply rely on their actual self-concept. In contrast, when purchasing products that will be consumed in public, consumers may draw on their actual public-self-image to appear consistent with others’ expectations, or they may employ their ideal public-concept to change how others view them.
