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Mortality Salience and Afterlife Belief Strength's Impact on Intention to Engage in Creation-Oriented Consumption

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Mortality Salience and Afterlife Belief Strength's Impact on Intention to Engage in Creation-Oriented Consumption I Won't Live On, So I Create: Mortality Salience and Afterlife Belief Strength's Impact on Intention to Engage in Creation-Oriented Consumption Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Xu, Huimin Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 30/09/2021 13:26:50 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195220 1 I W ON ’T L IVE ON , S O I C REATE : MORTALITY S ALIENCE AND AFTERLIFE B ELIEF S TRENGTH ’S I MPACT ON INTENTION TO E NGAGE IN C REATION -ORIENTED C ONSUMPTION by Huimin Xu __________________ Copyright © Huimin Xu 2006 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the COM MITTEE ON BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN MANAGEMENT In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2006 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Huimin Xu entitled I Won’t Live on , So I C reate : M ortality Salience and Afterlife Belief Strength’s Impact on Intention to Engage in Creation -Oriented Consumption and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy _______________________________________________________________________ Date: June 23, 2006 Merrie Brucks _____________________________ __________________________________________ Date: June 23, 2006 Jeff Greenberg _______________________________________________________________________ Date: June 23, 2006 Lance Erickson ____________________________________________________________ ___________ Date: June 23, 2006 Jesper Nielsen Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read thi s dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ________________________________________________ Date: Ju ly 18 , 2006 Dissertation Director: Merrie Brucks 3 STATEME NT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotatio ns from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the co pyright holder. SIGNED: Huimin Xu 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee, Dr. Merrie Brucks, Dr. Jeff Greenberg, Dr. Jesper Ni elsen, and Dr. Lance Erickson for their role as my mentors in professional development. It has been an enlightening learning experience. Your encouragement and advice will continue to guide me throughout my career. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ….……….…………….… …….………….……….…….……….… …… ... 12 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF DISSERTATION …….. ….. .. 14 CHAPTER 2: CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND……….……….……….……… ……. 17 DEFINITION OF CREATION -ORIENTED CONSUMPTION……….………. .. ...... 18 WHY STUDY CREATION -ORIENTED CONSU MPTION? ..... …….……. ……….. 20 FOCUS ON ANTECEDENTS OF CREATION -ORIENTED CONSUMPTION ……2 2 CREATION -ORIENTED CONSUMPTION AND RELATED CONCEPTS ……….. 24 Creation -Oriented Consumption and Related Consumer Behavior ……… ………... 24 U se Innovativeness……….……….……….……….……….……….……… ….. 24 Do -it -yourself Consumption……….…….……….……….……….……… ……. 26 Leisure and Hobbies……….……….……….……….……….……….……… …27 Creation -Oriented Consumption and Co -Creation……….……….…………. ... ...... 28 Creation -Oriented Consumption and Creativity… …….……….……….…… ... .... ..29 TERROR MANAGEMETN THEORY……….……….……….……….……… …….33 NEUROTICISM……….……….……….……….……….……….……….………. .. ..36 CHAPTER 3: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK……….……….……….……… …... .... .39 WHY DO P EOPLE ENGAGE IN CREATION -ORIENTED CONSUMPTION? A TERROR MANAGEMNT THEORY PERSPECTIVE……….……… ….……… ….. 39 CHAPTER 4: STUDY 1……….……….……….……….……….……….……… .. ...... .. 49 METHOD……….……….……….……….……….……….……….……….………… .. 49 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued Participants and Design ……….……….……… .. .… ... …….……….……….……... 49 Procedure……….……….……….……….………. .….…….……….……… …….. 49 Manipulations……….……….……….……….… .. ….….……….……….………. .52 Manipulation of Mortality Salience……….……… ….. …….……….……… …. .52 Manipulation of Afterlife Belief Strength ……….………. .……….……….…… .52 Dependent Measure and Others ……….……….……… …... ……….……….…… .. 54 Dependent Measure……….……….……….……….…… .….……….……… …54 Interest in Improving Creative Outcom e Quality ……….… .…….……….…… .. 54 Interest in Non -Durable Creative Consumption ……….…… .. ….……….…..… .55 Need for Social Affiliation……….……….……….……….… .…….……… …... 55 Need for Distraction……….……….……….……….………. .. ……….……… ... 55 Alternative Measure of Interest to Engage in Creation -Oriented Consumption .... 56 Interest in Creation -Oriented Consumption without Distraction from Death T houghts. .. ……….……….……….……….……….……….……….……56 Measures of Covariates, Moderator, and Randomization Checks ….………… …… 57 Mainstream Creativity Outlets….……….………….……….……… …………... 57 Symbolic I mmortality ………….………….……….………….……….……… ... 57 Neuroticism ….……….………….……….………….……….……… ………….. 58 Self -Esteem ….… ... ….………….……….………….……….……… …………... 58 Self -Concept Clari ty….……….………….……….………….……….…………58 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued Chronic Afterlife Belief Strength ….……….………….……….……… ………... 58 Escape Tendency ….……….………….……….……… ….……….……… ……. 59 Sensation Seeking Tendency ……….... .………….……….………….…… ……. 59 PANAS ………….………….……….………….……….……… ………………. 60 Pro -Self Orientation ….……….…… .…….……….………….……….……… …60 Demographics and D ebriefing ….……… ….……….……….……….… ……… ….. 61 RESULTS ….…… ….………….……….…… .. …….……….………….……….… …61 For H1, H3a: the Model and the Assumptions …….. .……….………….……… …. 61 About H1 and H3a ….……….………….……….… ... ……….……….……… …… 63 For H2, H3b: the Model and the Assumptions ….…… ….. ….………… .……… …. 64 About H2 and H3b ….……….………….……….……… ... ….……….……… …… 65 Alternative Explanations ….….………….……….………… …. .……….……… …. 66 Mood Effect ….……….………….……….………….……….……….…… …… 66 Need for Distraction ….……….………….……….………….……….……… ….67 Need for Social Affiliation ….……….………….……….……… ………………. 69 How Much Does Durability Matter? ….……….………….…… …….……… …… 70 How Much Does Quality of Creative Outcome Matter? ….……… …. .… .…… ….. 71 Is Pro -self Orientation a Mediator? ….……….………….……….…… …. ………. .71 DISCUSSION ….……….………….……….………….……….……… …… .. ……… 72 About the Distinction between Durable and Nondurable Creative Consumption….72 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued About the Hypotheses….… ……….………….……….…………………… ………75 Managerial Implications ….…… …….………….…… ….………….……… ……... 75 CHAPTER 5: STUDY 2 ….……….…… .. …….……….………….……….……… ….. ..76 METHOD ….……….………….……… .. .………….……….………….……… ……. 77 Dependent Measure ….……….……… ... ….……….………….……….……… ….. 77 Covariat es and Other Measures ….…… …. ….………….……….……… ………… 80 Sensation Seeking Tendency …... .……….……… ….……….…… …………….. 80 Quality Focus ….……….………….……….……….……….………… ……….. .80 Perceived Domain Self -efficacy ….……….………….……….… ... ……………. 80 Abstract Self -esteem Striving ….……….………….……….…… ... ……………. 81 Design and Procedure ….……….………….……….………….…… .. ….…… …… 82 Manipulation Checks ….……….………….……….………….……….……… ... 82 Procedure ….……….………….……….………….……….……… ……………. 82 RESULTS ….……… ……….. .……….………….……….………….… .…….……… 83 The Model ….……….…… ……. ….……….………….……….…… .…….………. 83 Assumption Check ….……….… …. ……….……….………….…… .. ….……… …85 Mortality Salience ….……….………….……….………….……….… .. …… …….. 87 Afterlife Beli ef Strength ….……….………….……….………….…… .. ….… …… 88 Creative Consumption in General ….……….………….……….…… .……………. 92 Non -durable Creative Consumption …………………….….……… .….. …………9 3 9 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued Durability Focus….……….……… ….……….………….……… …. …………….. .93 Three -Item Attitude Measure of Interest in Creation -Oriented Consumption ……... 95 Abstract Self -Esteem Striving ….……….………….……….………….……… ….. .95 How Much Does Quality of Creative Outcome Matter? ….……… .……… ……… 96 Regression Method to Check Hypotheses ….……….………….……….……… ….98 Neuroticism as a Moderator ….……….………….……….…………. ….… ……….98 Domain Self -Efficacy as a Moderator ….……….………….……….……… ….. …. 99 DISCUSSION ….……….………….……….………….……….……… …… …… …..99 About the Distinction between Durable and Nondurable Creative Consumption ….99 About the Hypotheses ….……….………….……….………….……….……… …10 0 CHAPTER 6: STUDY 3 ….……….………….……….………….……….……… ……10 4 METHOD ….……….………….……….………….……….………….……….… …10 5 New Manipulation of Mortality Salience ….……….………….……….……… …10 6 Dependent Measures ….……….………….……….………….……….……… ... ... 107 Creative Interest ….……….………….……….………….……….……… ……. 107 Quality of Creative Outcome ….……….………….……….…………. ………. .11 0 Durability Focus ….……….………….……….………….……….…………… .11 0 Points Allocation among the Three Types of Activities ……… …. …….……… 11 1 Abstract Self -Esteem Striving….……….………….……….…………..……… 11 3 Covariates and Other Measure s….……….………… …. .……….………………..11 3 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued Value Placed on Being Creative….……….………….……….………………..11 4 Self -Efficacy and Self -Esteem Source for Selected Creation -Oriented C onsumption
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