Conspicuous Consumption, Relationships, and Rivals: Women's
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Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. Conspicuous Consumption, Relationships, and Rivals: Women’s Luxury Products as Signals to Other Women Author(s): Yajin Wang and Vladas Griskevicius Source: Journal of Consumer Research, (-Not available-), p. 000 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/673256 . Accessed: 16/10/2013 11:25 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The University of Chicago Press and Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Consumer Research. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 160.94.114.219 on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 11:25:49 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Please use DOI when citing. Page numbers are not final. Conspicuous Consumption, Relationships, and Rivals: Women’s Luxury Products as Signals to Other Women YAJIN WANG VLADAS GRISKEVICIUS Past research shows that luxury products can function to boost self-esteem, ex- press identity, and signal status. We propose that luxury products also have im- portant signaling functions in relationships. Whereas men use conspicuous luxury products to attract mates, women use such products to deter female rivals. Drawing on both evolutionary and cultural perspectives, five experiments investigated how women’s luxury products function as a signaling system directed at other women who pose threats to their romantic relationships. Findings showed that activating a motive to guard one’s mate triggered women to seek and display lavish pos- sessions. Additional studies revealed that women use pricey possessions to signal that their romantic partner is especially devoted to them. In turn, flaunting designer handbags and shoes was effective at deterring other women from poaching a relationship partner. This research identifies a novel function of conspicuous con- sumption, revealing that luxury products and brands play important roles in rela- tionships. designer handbag found on the shelves of stores such teem, express one’s identity, and signal status (e.g., Belk A as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, or Nordstrom 1985; Han et al. 2010; Richins 1987; Veblen 1899). Bran- costs anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dishing a designer handbag or a luxury watch, for example, dollars. Yet American woman acquire on average three new is often used to convey a person’s level of prestige. But handbags each year (Bev and Zolenski 2011), prominently there is reason to believe that luxury products play an im- flaunting designer brands such as Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuit- portant role in another ubiquitous part of life—relationships. ton, Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior, Prada, and Chanel (Han, For instance, studies examining men’s conspicuous con- Nunes, and Dre`ze 2010). In the United States alone, spend- sumption have found that men’s displays of luxury goods ing on luxury goods amounts to as much as $525 billion serve as a “sexual signaling system” to attract romantic per year (Bev and Zolenski 2011), with women’s products partners (Griskevicius et al. 2007; Sundie et al. 2011). Here accounting for over half of this consumption (D’Arpizio we consider whether women’s luxury products might also 2012). Given women’s passion for pricey possessions, why play an important role in relationships. do women desire luxury goods? Unlike for men, whose luxury goods often serve as signals Considerable research has examined why people seek lux- to potential mates, we propose that women’s luxury pos- ury products, finding that such products can boost self-es- sessions often serve as signals to other women. We inves- tigate the idea that women’s flaunting of designer products Yajin Wang ([email protected]) is a PhD student in marketing and functions as a signaling system directed at same-sex rivals Vladas Griskevicius ([email protected]) is associate professor of market- ing and psychology at the Carlson School of Management, University of who pose a threat to a woman’s relationship. We hypothesize Minnesota, 321 19th Ave S. Suite 3-150, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Address that some women use pricey possessions to signal to other correspondence to Yajin Wang. The authors gratefully acknowledge the women that their romantic partner is especially devoted to very helpful input of the editor, associate editor, and reviewers. them. In turn, flaunting designer handbags and shoes helps Ann McGill served as editor and Jaideep Sengupta served as associate women deter romantic rivals from poaching their relation- editor for this article. ship partner. We investigate this idea in five experiments, which test which factors trigger women to seek conspicuous Electronically published August 29, 2013 luxury possessions, what signals such possessions send to 000 ᭧ 2013 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc. ● Vol. 40 ● February 2014 All rights reserved. 0093-5301/2014/4005-0003$10.00. DOI: 10.1086/673256 This content downloaded from 160.94.114.219 on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 11:25:49 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 000 JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH other women, and whether these signals are effective at Luxury goods are known to serve an important function altering other women’s behavior. This research makes a con- in relationships for men by helping to attract romantic part- tribution by identifying a novel function of conspicuous ners (Griskevicius et al. 2007; Janssens et al. 2011; Sundie consumption, revealing how women’s luxury products and et al. 2011). Given that ostentatious displays of wealth have brands play an important role in relationships. been occurring across the globe for millennia, men’s ten- dency to seek and display luxury possessions is believed to LUXURY PRODUCTS have enhanced their reproductive fitness (Miller 2009; Saad 2007). Consistent with this idea, studies find that merely From $300 designer shoes and $10,000 outdoor grills, to activating a mate attraction motive automatically triggers $20,000 Sub-Zero freezers and $5,000 necklaces, each year men to pay more attention to expensive products (Janssens consumers spend billions of dollars on luxury products— et al. 2011), choose more luxurious brands (Sundie et al. relatively expensive products that provide increased prestige 2011), and pay more money for conspicuous luxury prod- without providing additional utilitarian value. Considerable ucts (Griskevicius et al. 2007). In turn, men who flaunt past research has investigated why people desire luxury luxury goods are seen as more sexually attractive by women products. People sometimes seek such goods for intrinsic (Sundie et al. 2011). benefits to the self, whereby luxury goods can provide a But while men’s flaunting of luxury products is known better sense of self and boost a person’s self-esteem (Belk to have an important function in relationships, it is unclear 1988; Berger and Heath 2007; Douglas and Isherwood 1978; whether women’s tendency to display luxury goods serves Holt 1998; Sivananthan and Pettit 2010; Solomon 1983). any purpose when it comes to relationships. If it does, it is For example, some individuals believe that having luxury unlikely to be the same purpose as for men—to attract mates. goods will make them happier and more fulfilled (Belk 1985; In six separate studies, activating a desire to attract a mate Richins 1987), and this is especially true when individuals in women had no effect on women’s desire for conspicuous feel deprived (Charles, Hurst, and Roussanov 2009). luxury products (Griskevicius et al. 2007; Sundie et al. People also seek luxury products because such possessions 2011). However, this lack of findings for women does not can signal important information to others (Belk, Bahn, and mean that women’s luxury products have no function in Mayer 1982; Richins 1994). The tendency to purchase and relationships. Instead, as we discuss next, women’s luxury exhibit expensive goods is known as conspicuous consump- products may have a very different function than men’s. tion (Veblen 1899), whereby luxury goods—and luxury brands—are often used to communicate a person’s wealth or level of prestige (Bagwell and Bernheim 1996; Han et al. RELATIONSHIPS AND MATE GUARDING 2010; Mazzocco et al. 2012; Rucker, Galinsky, and Dubois 2012; Wernerfelt 1990; Wilcox, Kim, and Sen 2009). For Relationship research reveals that having a successful re- example, expensive products can convey the owner’s status lationship involves solving at least two central challenges or good taste, and this signal could be directed to a general (Griskevicius, Haselton, and Ackerman, forthcoming). First, audience or to select individuals important to the signaler having a relationship requires attracting a mate. But because (Berger and Ward 2010; Han et al. 2010; Wernerfelt 1990). many relationships do not end after a mate is merely at- The current research builds on the idea that conspicuous tracted, successful relationships involve solving a second luxury possessions can signal information to others. Here challenge: retaining that mate (Buss 1988; Buss and Shack- we focus on examining whether luxury products might have elford 1997). Research in biology and anthropology shows important and unique signaling functions specific to rela- that after a romantic partner has been attracted, keeping that tionships. partner and staying together in a relationship contributed significantly to enhancing reproductive fitness (Hill and RELATIONSHIPS AND LUXURY Hurtado 1996). The challenge of retaining a mate is not only PRODUCTS distinct from the challenge of attracting a mate, but mate retention is considered to be a “fundamental” human evo- Relatively little consumer research has considered the lutionary problem (Griskevicius and Kenrick 2013; Kenrick roles of products and brands in relationships.