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Talking to Ourselves: A Dialogical Exploration of Consumption Experiences

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  • Shalini Bahl
  • George R. Milne

Abstract

This article introduces the dialogical nature of self to study consumers' inner dialogs in order to understand consumers' marketplace decisions and conflicts. The authors explore the meaning of consumption at multiple self levels and dialogical relationships to manage differences. The study uses mixed methods including in-depth interviews, multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and metaphors to distill important voices in their informants. They find that the consumption stories vary across self levels. The meta-self level reflects a dispassionate representation of the primary I-positions in consumers and does not explain what the consumers experience at the time of actual consumption. An examination of inconsistent consumption preferences at the level of I-positions reveals that dialogical relationships labeled compartmentalization, compassion, negotiation, and coalition can avoid and manage conflicts, while relationships involving opposition and domination reflect unresolved conflicts. Suggestions to use the dialogical self model for addressing issues of negative selves, addictions, and domination in future research are provided. (c) 2009 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Suggested Citation

  • Shalini Bahl & George R. Milne, 2010. "Talking to Ourselves: A Dialogical Exploration of Consumption Experiences," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(1), pages 176-195, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:37:y:2010:i:1:p:176-195
    DOI: 10.1086/650000
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuksel, Mujde & McDonald, Mark A. & Milne, George R. & Darmody, Aron, 2017. "The paradoxical relationship between fantasy football and NFL consumption: Conflict development and consumer coping mechanisms," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 198-210.
    2. Liu, Chihling & Keeling, Debbie Isobel & Hogg, Margaret K., 2016. "Strategy narratives and wellbeing challenges: The role of everyday self-presentation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 234-243.
    3. Miray Baybars & Ayla Özhan-Dedeoğlu, 2021. "Consumptionscape of Turkish Feminist Mothers: Negotiations between Motherhood, Consumer Culture and Feminist Ideologies," Istanbul Business Research, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 50(1), pages 149-176, May.
    4. Liu, Chihling & Hogg, Margaret K., 2018. "Using attachment theory to understand consumers' tensions between their sense of self and goal-pursuits in relationships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 197-209.
    5. Adriana Manolica & Marius-Iulian Cluci & Teodora Roman, 2021. "The Consumer Explained through the Extended-Self," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(1), pages 572-581, August.
    6. Karanika, Katerina & Hogg, Margaret K., 2020. "Self–object relationships in consumers’ spontaneous metaphors of anthropomorphism, zoomorphism, and dehumanization," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 15-25.
    7. Daniel Villanova, 2019. "The extended self, product valuation, and the endowment effect," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 9(3), pages 357-371, December.
    8. Shalini Bahl & George R. Milne & Kunal Swani, 2023. "An expanded mindful mindset: The role of different skills in stress reduction and life satisfaction," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 821-847, April.
    9. Karanika, Katerina & Hogg, Margaret K., 2016. "Being kind to ourselves: Self-compassion, coping, and consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 760-769.
    10. Cátia Fernandes Crespo & Alcina Gaspar Ferreira & Ricardo Moita Cardoso, 2023. "The influence of storytelling on the consumer–brand relationship experience," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 41-56, March.
    11. Maria Petrescu & Anjala S. Krishen, 2019. "Strength in diversity: methods and analytics," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(4), pages 203-204, December.
    12. Ruvio, Ayalla & Belk, Russell, 2018. "Strategies of the extended self: The role of possessions in transpeople's conflicted selves," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 102-110.
    13. Atul Parvatiyar & Jagdish N. Sheth, 2023. "Confronting the deep problem of consumption: Why individual responsibility for mindful consumption matters," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 785-820, April.
    14. Ferreira, Marcia Christina & Scaraboto, Daiane, 2016. "“My plastic dreams”: Towards an extended understanding of materiality and the shaping of consumer identities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 191-207.

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