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Let Us Eat and Drink, for Tomorrow We Shall Die: Effects of Mortality Salience and Self-Esteem on Self-Regulation in Consumer Choice

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  • Rosellina Ferraro
  • Baba Shiv
  • James R. Bettman

Abstract

We examine how making mortality salient affects consumer choices. We develop a new theoretical framework predicting when consumer behaviors will be more (less) indulgent when mortality is salient, arguing that individuals focus more of their limited self-regulatory resources on domains that are important sources of self-esteem and less on domains that are not important sources. In two domains, food choice and charitable donations/socially conscious consumer behaviors, high mortality salience led to less indulgent choices among participants for whom that domain was an important source of esteem and more indulgent choices for participants for whom the domain was not an important esteem source. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Suggested Citation

  • Rosellina Ferraro & Baba Shiv & James R. Bettman, 2005. "Let Us Eat and Drink, for Tomorrow We Shall Die: Effects of Mortality Salience and Self-Esteem on Self-Regulation in Consumer Choice," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 32(1), pages 65-75, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:32:y:2005:i:1:p:65-75
    DOI: 10.1086/429601
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    Cited by:

    1. Fransen, Marieke L. & Fennis, Bob M. & Pruyn, Ad Th. H. & Das, Enny, 2008. "Rest in peace? Brand-induced mortality salience and consumer behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(10), pages 1053-1061, October.
    2. Truong, Yann & McColl, Rod, 2011. "Intrinsic motivations, self-esteem, and luxury goods consumption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 555-561.
    3. Chao Ma & Yiwei Li & Wenxin Jiang & Xing Zhang, 2024. "Pandemic exposure and long‐run psychological well‐being," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 39-55, January.
    4. White, Joshua V. & Harms, P.D. & Borgholthaus, Cameron J. & Tuggle, Christopher S., 2023. "I’m not the executive that I used to be: Understanding causes and consequences of personality change in the upper echelons," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    5. Diogo Hildebrand & Yoshiko Demotta & Sankar Sen & Ana Valenzuela, 2017. "Consumer Responses to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Contribution Type," Post-Print hal-01576949, HAL.
    6. Wei Song & Xiaotong Jin & Jian Gao & Taiyang Zhao, 2020. "Will Buying Follow Others Ease Their Threat of Death? An Analysis of Consumer Data during the Period of COVID-19 in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Diogo Hildebrand & Yoshiko DeMotta & Sankar Sen & Ana Valenzuela & Laura PeracchioEditor & Gita JoharEditor & Jaideep SenguptaAssociate Editor, 2017. "Consumer Responses to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Contribution Type," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 44(4), pages 738-758.
    8. Joëlle Vanhamme & Adam Lindgreen & Gülen Sarial-Abi, 2023. "Luxury Ethical Consumers: Who Are They?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(3), pages 805-838, March.
    9. Shuyang Wang & Yun Liu & Yingying Du & Xingyuan Wang, 2021. "Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumers’ Impulse Buying: The Moderating Role of Moderate Thinking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-19, October.
    10. Lankheit, Sophie & Hempel, Corinna, 2021. "A Q study on changes in food choices and consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic," 61st Annual Conference, Berlin, Germany, September 22-24, 2021 317055, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    11. Boeuf, Benjamin, 2019. "The impact of mortality anxiety on attitude toward product innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 44-60.
    12. S. Venus Jin & Ehri Ryu, 2022. "“The greedy I that gives”—The paradox of egocentrism and altruism: Terror management and system justification perspectives on the interrelationship between mortality salience and charitable donations ," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 414-448, March.
    13. Liu, Wendy & Aaker, Jennifer, 2007. "Do you look to the future or focus on today? The impact of life experience on intertemporal decisions," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 102(2), pages 212-225, March.
    14. Marcelo Vinhal Nepomuceno & Michel Laroche, 2016. "Do I Fear Death? The Effects of Mortality Salience on Anti-Consumption Lifestyles," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 124-144, March.
    15. Billore, Soniya & Anisimova, Tatiana & Vrontis, Demetris, 2023. "Self-regulation and goal-directed behavior: A systematic literature review, public policy recommendations, and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    16. Coelho Do Vale, R.M.R.D., 2007. "Consumption breakdowns : On avoiding and embracing temptations," Other publications TiSEM 245c52fa-24eb-45e6-9c19-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    17. Wang, Xuehua & Wang, Xiaoyu & Lei, Jing & Chao, Mike Chen-ho, 2021. "The clothes that make you eat healthy: The impact of clothes style on food choice," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 787-799.
    18. Claude Berrebi & Hanan Yonah, 2016. "Terrorism and philanthropy: the effect of terror attacks on the scope of giving by individuals and households," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 171-194, December.
    19. Jamal, Ahmad & Yaccob, Aqilah & Bartikowski, Boris & Slater, Stephanie, 2019. "Motivations to donate: Exploring the role of religiousness in charitable donations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 319-327.
    20. Kumar, Jitender & Kumar, Vikas, 2020. "Drivers of brand community engagement," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    21. Liu, Wendy & Aaker, Jennifer L., 2006. "Do You Look to the Future or Focus on Today? The Impact of Life Experience on Intertemporal Decisions," Research Papers 1924, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    22. Remi Trudel & Jill Klein & Sankar Sen & Niraj Dawar, 2020. "Feeling Good by Doing Good: A Selfish Motivation for Ethical Choice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 39-49, September.
    23. Diogo Hildebrand & Yoshiko Demotta & Sankar Sen & Ana Valenzuela, 2017. "Consumer Responses to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Contribution Type," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-01576949, HAL.
    24. Liu, J., 2008. "Brand and automaticity," Other publications TiSEM dcbcb1b7-2089-429d-bdc1-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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