Self‐esteem discrepancies and identity‐expressive consumption: Evidence from Norwegian adolescents

Prior research established that simultaneously holding discrepant explicit (deliberate, controlled) and implicit (automatic, uncontrolled) self‐esteem gives rise to self‐enhancing behaviours. Given that individuals tend to enhance their self‐concepts with brands that are associated with positive identities, this study examined whether self‐esteem discrepancy was related to the extent to which individuals developed connections with brands that are associated with their in‐groups. Findings from an adolescent sample (ages 16–18) indicated that adolescents with larger discrepancies between explicit and implicit self‐esteem were more likely to construct their self‐concepts using in‐group‐linked brands.     

Effects of antagonistic and synergistic muscles’ co-activation on mechanics of activated spastic semitendinosus in children with cerebral palsy

ObjectivesMost activities involve co-activation of several muscles and epimuscular myofascial force transmission (EMFT) can affect their mechanics. This can be relevant for spastic muscles of cerebral palsy (CP) patients. Isometric spastic semitendinosus (ST) forces vs. knee angle (KA-F_ST) data were collected intra-operatively to test the following hypotheses: (i) Inter-antagonistic EMFT elevates F_ST, (ii) changes the shape of KA-F_ST characteristics, (iii) reduces the muscle’s joint range of force exertion (Range-F_ST) and (iv) combined inter-antagonistic and synergistic EMFT further changes those effects.Methods11 limbs of 6 patients with CP (mean (SD) = 7.7 (4.7) years; GMFCS levels = II–IV) were tested in 3 conditions from 120° to full extension: ST activated (I) exclusively, (II) simultaneously with an antagonist, and (III) with added activation of synergists.ResultsCondition II increased F_ST (e.g., peak force = 87.6 N (30.5 N)) significantly (by 33.6%), but condition III caused no further change. No condition changed the muscle’s wide Range-F_ST (100.7° (15.9°)) significantly. Therefore, only the first hypothesis was confirmed.ConclusionsCo-activating its antagonist elevates forces of activated spastic ST substantially, but does not change its joint range of force exertion. Added activation of its synergists causes no further effects. Therefore, EMFT effects in CP can be relevant and need to be tested in other knee flexors.     

顾客间互动影响服务品牌象征价值的心理机制

象征价值是品牌赋予消费者的心理收益, 强化服务品牌的象征价值成为企业提升消费者心理满足感的重要途径。鉴于顾客间互动是现有消费心理研究中重要而尚未得到足够重视的研究视角, 研究试图在文献回顾的基础上, 尝试综合运用访谈法和关键事件法, 构建顾客间互动与服务品牌象征价值的影响关系模型; 拟基于人际关系的三维需求理论, 深入挖掘顾客角色内外互动行为与象征价值之间的作用机制。未来的实证研究中拟运用实验和调研等方法对理论模型进行验证, 以期为服务企业激发顾客的象征消费行为提供理论依据。     

品牌不安全感的危害机制与化解策略

品牌不安全感是指消费者对某品牌存在潜在或现实威胁的主观感知和担忧。以往文献中, 与品牌不安全感有关的研究主要隐含在两个领域：一是以产品伤害危机为中心的品牌心智变化研究; 二是以企业伦理责任为中心的品牌心智变化研究。但这两个领域都尚未揭示消费者品牌不安全感的实质、心理表征、危害机制和预警功能等。品牌不安全感是消费者回避或拒绝某品牌的心理根源之一。因此基于产品伤害事件频发的事实和品牌心智理论, 有必要对品牌不安全感作系统研究, 具体探索品牌不安全感的本质内涵、导致品牌不安全感的威胁源、品牌不安全感的心理表征、危害机制、预防和化解策略、以及品牌心理安全管理理论等问题。     

The effect of brand personality and brand identification on brand loyalty: Applying the theory of social identification

This study investigated the effect of brand personality on brand asset management by using the concept of consumers' identification with a brand. The focus was on one important type of high-technology product, the cellular phone. The authors develop a conceptual framework to explain the effect of brand identification on brand loyalty. The important variables of this framework include the attractiveness of the brand personality, the distinctiveness of the brand personality, the self-expressive value of the brand personality, positive word-of-mouth reports of the brand, and brand loyalty. The empirical results indicated that there are positive relationships between attractiveness, distinctiveness, and self-expressive value of brand personality. These relationships had a statistically significant effect on consumers' identification with a brand. Furthermore, brand identification had a direct effect on word-of-mouth reports and an indirect effect on brand loyalty. The theoretical and managerial implications of the empirical results are presented, and suggestions are made regarding both the limitations of the present study and future directions for research.     

消费者品牌联想的建立与测量

品牌联想即记忆中与品牌结点联结的信息结点,它们构成品牌形象,是品牌资产的重要组成部分,具有网络结构性、聚类性、双向性、隐喻性、内隐性和多维性等特点。品牌联想是消费者购买决策和品牌忠诚的基础,因此企业需要建立独特、强烈、有利和深层次的品牌联想群以区别于竞争品牌。对品牌联想的测量包括识别联想内容及其网络结构。品牌联想概念的界定和维度模型的构建、测量方法的改进等都是将来仍需深入研究的问题     

消费者自我构念、独特性需求与品牌标识形状偏好

市场上品牌标识形状各具形态,它们已成为吸引消费者眼球的重要品牌要素,如何设计出科学实效的品牌标识形状已成为营销策略中基础而又关键的内容。什么形状的品牌标识更能获得目标群体的偏爱?本文从自我构念的水平视角出发,推论认为不同自我构念的个体在"独特性需求"上具有显著差异,由此形成对多角和圆润的品牌标识形状的偏好差异,独特性需求在自我构念与品牌标识形状偏好之间起中介作用。文章通过4个实验,一致证实独立型自我构念的消费者独特性需求更高,偏爱多角的品牌标识;相依型自我构念的消费者,独特性需求更低,偏爱圆润的品牌标识。但上述效应只存在于公开产品购买情境,当消费者购买和使用私人产品时,无论个体的自我构念是独立型还是相依型,他们对品牌标识多角与圆润的偏好没有显著差异。本文推进了自我构念、独特性需求、品牌标识形状等领域的理论研究,为企业在设计、调整品牌标识形状及制定配套营销策略方面提供了丰富的战略启示。     

When Does Construction Enhance Product Value? Investigating the Combined Effects of Object Assembly and Ownership on Valuation

Recent findings have shown that even without the ability to customize a product, individuals pay more for goods that they assembled. In this paper we examine which components of this creation process account for the increase in valuation, and whether it operates equally for owners and non‐owners of the self‐assembled object. Based on the self‐extension theory of ownership, we propose a psychological mechanism by which the assembly process strengthens the self–object association. In three experiments, we find that—although witnessing the assembly process or assembling a similar product can increase participants' evaluation of, and attachment to, a product that they own—a greater and more consistent increase in valuation and attachment arises when owners assemble their product themselves. Seemingly, merely learning about the assembly process plays only a small role in enhancing value; for substantial increases in value, one must actually assemble the product oneself. Contrary to the previous findings on the effects of labour on willingness to pay, we find little effect of product assembly among non‐owners of the product. We suggest that self‐assembly encourages objects to be incorporated into the self, but that this occurs most effectively when one owns the product. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

品牌形象系统的因素结构

采用问卷法以446名大学生为被试,运用探索性因素分析探讨了不同产品类别（牙膏、运动鞋和随身听）的品牌形象的构成因素,然后以整体分配法确定了各因素的权重。结果表明:(1)品牌形象是由若干因素构成的有组织、有序的系统,这些因素分别属于功能成分和意义成分。(2)不同产品类别的品牌形象构成有共性,也有个性。(3)低外显产品的功能成分比高外显产品的功能成分重要。