OUGD601 | Packaging Research - 'Consumer Psychology' by Jansson-Boyd, Cathrine V.

Boyd, Jansson. 'Consumer Psychology'. Open University Press. 1st January 2010. 

Chapter 4 : Identity and consumption - page.54

• 'It has been established that we judge others by their material possessions, meaning that consumption is now an important part in creation and maintenance if identities.' 

Negative aspects of consumption upon self - page.64

• 'So far the only mention of any negative consequences of consumption upon the self has been in regards to upwards social comparison.'
• 'Even though in many cases consumption is simply a part of establishing and preserving our identities, there are instances when it can be detrimental to who we are.'
• 'All times, possessions are simply used as an extension of the self (Belk, 1988) but they can also be used by individuals to compensate for what is perceived to be flaws in their self-concept (Wiklund & Gollwitzer, 1982). Consequently, the consumer culture is often blamed for physical and psychological problems linked to identity.' 
• Something that is likely to have been reinforced by consumers societies and further fuels the consumption of cosmetic products and procedures. The fact is that never before has the cosmetics industry sold more beauty products (to both men and women), and cosmetic surgery is at an all=time high, meaning that it is important to address how this affects people's identity and psychological well-being. 

Summary - page.67

• Consumers often purchase products and services in order to establish and maintain identities and to signify group memberships. 
• People are taught gradually from an early age that products and brands have meanings which means that they can be used to categories self and others. Meaningful products also allow us to easily compare ourselves to others so that we can judge whether or not they are inferior or superior to us. 
• The meaning of different products stems from marketing and tends to be continuously reinforced by our social environment. 
• One of the advantages of consuming certain products is that they can make others perceive us in a more favourable way and consequently they will behave accordingly towards us. 
• However, there are also disadvantages in that certain types of consumption can make us feel inadequate in various ways and subsequently affect our mental and physical health.