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Journal of Personality and Social Psychology the Malleable Morality Journal of Personality and Social Psychology The Malleable Morality of Conspicuous Consumption Shreyans Goenka and Manoj Thomas Online First Publication, February 14, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000237 CITATION Goenka, S., & Thomas, M. (2019, February 14). The Malleable Morality of Conspicuous Consumption. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000237 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Personality Processes and Individual Differences © 2019 American Psychological Association 2019, Vol. 1, No. 999, 000 0022-3514/19/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000237 The Malleable Morality of Conspicuous Consumption Shreyans Goenka and Manoj Thomas Cornell University Conspicuous consumption has often been decried as immoral by many philosophers and scholars, yet it is ubiquitous and widely embraced. This research sheds light on the apparent paradox by proposing that the perceived morality of conspicuous consumption is malleable, contingent upon how different moral lenses highlight the different characteristics embedded in the behavior. Utilizing the Moral Foundations Theory, we demonstrate that the individualizing values (i.e., equality and welfare) make people focus on the self-enhancing characteristics of conspicuous consumption, making it seem morally objectionable. However, the binding values (i.e., deference to authority, in-group loyalty, and purity) make people focus on the social identity signaling characteristic of conspicuous consumption, making it seem morally permissible. First, an archival dataset shows that the prevalence of the different moral values predicts per-capita spending on luxury goods across different countries. Then, 6 studies (N ϭ 2903) show that the trait endorsement and the momentary salience of the different moral foundations can influence the moral judgment of conspicuous consumption as well as the propensity to engage in conspicuous consumption. Further, analyses show that the effect of the binding values (individualizing values) is mediated by heightened sensitivity to the social identity signaling (self-enhancing) aspects of conspicuous consump- tion. Finally, the studies demonstrate that the effect is moderated by the extent of social visibility during consumption. Thus, this research suggests that some moral values can, somewhat paradoxically, increase conspicuous consumption. Keywords: conspicuous consumption, consumption preferences, moral foundations theory, moral judgment Supplemental materials: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000237.supp “The dissolution of morals is the necessary consequence of luxury.” nothing will do.” Similarly, religious and spiritual texts have —Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1750) typically discouraged the purchase and exhibition of luxury prod- ucts (Dalai Lama, 2009). Furthermore, opinion pieces in main- Conspicuous consumption, the purchase and exhibition of costly stream media frequently express moral outrage on the “explosion items for social impression, has been decried as immoral by the of elite ostentation” (Krugman, 2014). This notion has also trickled scholars of society. Veblen (1899) argued that the very essence of into contemporary pop-culture where characters engaging in con- conspicuous consumption lies in the element of wasting time and spicuous consumption are often portrayed with questionable mor- resources. Rousseau (1750) proclaimed that “a taste for ostentation als. Moreover, research has shown that people typically ascribe is rarely associated in the same souls with a taste for honesty.” negative personality traits to others engaging in conspicuous con- Benjamin Franklin (1758) also warned that “without frugality, sumption (Belk, 1978; Van Boven, Campbell, & Gilovich, 2010). Hence, at least in some sections of society, conspicuous consump- tion is considered morally suspect. That is, a moral person would not purchase products like Prada handbags and Rolex watches. Shreyans Goenka and Manoj Thomas, Department of Marketing, S.C. However, conspicuous consumption is quite rampant and has This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its alliedJohnson publishers. Graduate School of Management, Cornell University. always been an integral aspect of human society (Mason, 1998; This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual userAll and is not to besurvey disseminated broadly. materials, procedural details, and additional data analysis are available in the online supplemental materials. Raw data for Studies 2–6 Page, 1992). Luxury goods consumption, most of which qualifies are available on the open science framework website (https://osf.io/ as conspicuous consumption, has been steadily growing. It is z4qmk). Note that the data use agreements do not permit us to share the estimated that the worldwide value of luxury goods market has data for Study 1. reached $289 billion (Paton, 2017) and almost all individuals have The authors thank the team at YourMorals.org for sharing their data and purchased, or will purchase, at least one luxury product in their the Cornell Statistical Consulting Unit for assistance with data analysis. lifetime (Taylor, Harrison, & Kraus, 2008). Importantly, conspic- They also express gratitude to Isaac Smith, Stijn M.J. van Osselaer, Kaitlin uous consumption has existed in tandem with the moral fabric Wooley, Soo Kim, Helen Chun, and J. Edward Russo for helpful feedback. society. In some cases, reputed society leaders and even religious This research was inspired by the two authors’ opposing predilections for leaders have spearheaded the ostentatious consumption of luxury conspicuous consumption. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Shreyans cars and designer outfits. For instance, televangelists in the United Goenka, Department of Marketing, S.C. Johnson Graduate School of States are known to flaunt private jets and mansions (Chasmar, Management, Cornell University, 301C Sage Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853. 2016). Even across the world, spiritual leaders and gurus in India E-mail: [email protected] unabashedly partake in ostentatious consumption like buying Rolls 1 2 GOENKA AND THOMAS Royce cars and private islands (Urban, 2016; Worth, 2018). This morality can impact consumption and economic activities in soci- begs the question—do all sections of society perceive conspicuous ety. consumption to be morally objectionable? What psychological factors influence the perceived morality of conspicuous consump- Moral Foundations Theory tion? We posit that the perceived morality of conspicuous consump- The Moral Foundations Theory posits that moral values are tion is malleable. Conspicuous consumption may not always be composed of five different factors or foundations, including care/ perceived to be immoral; rather, its morality is contingent upon harm, fairness/cheating, authority/subversion, loyalty/betrayal, and how different moral lenses highlight the different characteristics purity/degradation (Graham et al., 2011; Haidt, 2007; Haidt & embedded in the behavior. Some moral values can highlight the Graham, 2007). The theory argues that in the first two moral self-enhancing characteristics of conspicuous consumption such as foundations (care and fairness), the individual’s welfare and well- wastefulness, vanity, and superiority (Belk, 1988). Unsurprisingly, being is the locus of the moral concern; therefore, these are called when one attends to these aspects of conspicuous consumption, it the individualizing foundations. These moral values emphasize is perceived to be morally objectionable. However, some moral equality and welfare to protect individuals and provide for indi- values can highlight the group-focused characteristics of conspic- vidual rights in social settings. These values have functional rel- uous consumption such as signaling of social identity, group evance in some contexts; they protect people from being harmed, values, and group membership (Dubois & Ordabayeva, 2015). If oppressed, or treated unfairly by other members of the group or by one attends to these aspects, then conspicuous consumption can the institutional systems. On the other hand, in the latter three appear morally permissible. Consequentially, we argue that differ- moral foundations (authority, loyalty, purity), the group’s welfare ent moral lenses, which highlight these different characteristics of is the locus of moral concern; therefore, these are called the conspicuous consumption can alter its moral judgment. This prop- binding foundations. These foundations focus on “limiting indi- osition goes counter to the view that conspicuous consumption is vidual autonomy and self-expression to bind people into emergent always considered morally suspect. Instead, our argument is that social entities such as families, clans, and nations” (Graham & certain moral values can make conspicuous consumption less Haidt, 2010, p. 144). These values “preserve social institutions by morally objectionable, sometimes even making it desirable. promoting and celebrating those who support and sacrifice for the We utilize the Moral Foundations Theory (Graham, Haidt, & group (in-group loyalty), respect and obey traditions (authority), Nosek, 2009; Graham et al., 2011, 2013; Haidt, 2007; Haidt & and rise above their base urges and exercise self-control (purity)” Joseph, 2007) to demonstrate how the perceived morality of con- (Napier & Luguri, 2013, p. 754). spicuous consumption can be molded by the different systems of Extant
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