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You Like What I Like, but I Don't Like What You Like: Uniqueness Motivations in Product Preferences

Author

Listed:
  • Caglar Irmak
  • Beth Vallen
  • Sankar Sen

Abstract

Consumers often gauge their own and others' preferences for products through social comparisons. This research examines the role of consumers' need for uniqueness (CNFU) in two common social comparisons: projection and introjection. Consumers project (i.e., rely on their own preferences to estimate those of others), regardless of their CNFU. However, high-CNFU consumers are less likely than low-CNFU ones to introject (i.e., rely on estimates of others' preferences to gauge their own). Moreover, alleviating the introjection-induced threat to the high-CNFU consumers' self-concept by having them deliberate on their differentness from others increases their likelihood of introjection. Together, these findings confirm our basic contention that the process underlying introjection is more motivational in nature than that underlying projection. (c) 2010 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Suggested Citation

  • Caglar Irmak & Beth Vallen & Sankar Sen, 2010. "You Like What I Like, but I Don't Like What You Like: Uniqueness Motivations in Product Preferences," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(3), pages 443-455, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:37:y:2010:i:3:p:443-455
    DOI: 10.1086/653139
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gaëlle Pantin-Sohier & Caroline Lancelot Miltgen, 2012. "L'impact des stimuli informationnels d'un nouveau produit alimentaire sur les réactions affectives et cognitives du consommateur," Post-Print hal-01117036, HAL.
    2. Chang, Hsin Hsin & Wong, Kit Hong & Shen, Yi An, 2022. "Effects of the consumer socialization process on content sharing on SNSs: Social comparison and anticipated emotions as moderators," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    3. Caroline Lancelot Miltgen & Gaelle Pantin-Sohier & Bianca Grohmann, 2016. "Communicating Sensory Attributes and Innovation Through Food Product Labeling," Post-Print hal-01247599, HAL.
    4. Chaouali, Walid & Ben Yahia, Imene & Souiden, Nizar, 2016. "The interplay of counter-conformity motivation, social influence, and trust in customers' intention to adopt Internet banking services: The case of an emerging country," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 209-218.
    5. Ubedullah Khoso & Eric Tafani & Asim Qazi Shabir, 2023. "Scarcity Appeals In Cross-Cultural Settings: A Comprehensive Framework," Post-Print hal-04261221, HAL.
    6. Wang, Le & Luo, Xin (Robert) & Li, Han, 2022. "Envy or conformity? An empirical investigation of peer influence on the purchase of non-functional items in mobile free-to-play games," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 308-324.
    7. Huang, Huiling & Liu, Stephanie Q. & Kandampully, Jay & Bujisic, Milos, 2020. "Consumer Responses to Scarcity Appeals in Online Booking," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    8. Stathopoulou, Anastasia & Balabanis, George, 2019. "The effect of cultural value orientation on consumers' perceptions of luxury value and proclivity for luxury consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 298-312.
    9. Liu, Longzhu & Chen, Rong & He, Feng, 2015. "How to promote purchase of carbon offset products: Labeling vs. calculation?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 942-948.
    10. Wang, Xia & Yu, Chunling & Wei, Yujie, 2012. "Social Media Peer Communication and Impacts on Purchase Intentions: A Consumer Socialization Framework," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 198-208.
    11. Berghueser, Sophie M. & Spann, Martin, 2025. "The value of distinctiveness: Product uniqueness in crypto marketing," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 573-593.

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