UNiVERSiTY OF MAKATi

COLLEGE OF SCiENCE
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Und!standing
"e Self
MODULE 7
At the end of the chapter, students are expected to explore different aspects of
self and identity, demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating the various
aspects of self and identity, identify the different forces and institutions that
impact the development of various aspects of self and identity and examine one’s
self against the different aspects of self discussed in class.
In Module 7 - The Economic/Material Self, students will be able to understand
the role of consumer culture in the sens of self and identity.

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LESSON 1

Economic/Material
Self
Consumer psychology is a specialty area that
studies how our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and
perceptions influence how people buy and relate to
goods and services. One formal definition of the field
describes it as "the study of individuals, groups, or
organizations and the processes they use to select,
secure, use, and dispose of products, services,
experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the
impacts that these processes have on the consumer
and society." It is the study of why people buy things.
Psychologists try to find the underlying cognitive
processes that explain consumers' choices and how
they respond to the influence of marketing, as well as
the external stimuli that convince people to purchase
certain items. Marketing executives are very keen to
know the findings from studies in consumer
psychology, since these findings can help them figure
out how to sell a product.
Economic/Material Self
The Science of Consumer Behavior

According to the Society for Consumer Psychology, Division 23 of the American Psychological
Association, consumer psychology "employs theoretical psychological approaches to
understanding consumers."
This field is often considered a sub-specialty of industrial-organizational psychology and is also
known as the psychology of consumer behavior or the psychology of marketing.

Consumer psychologists study a variety of topics including:

• How consumers choose businesses, products, and services
• The thought processes and emotions behind consumer decisions
• How environmental variables such as friends, family, media, and culture influence buying
decisions
• What motivates people to choose one product over another
• How personal factors and individual differences affect people's buying choices
• What marketers can do to effectively reach out to their target customers

Economic/Material Self
The Science of Consumer Behavior

According to the Society for Consumer Psychology, Division 23 of the American Psychological
Association, consumer psychology "employs theoretical psychological approaches to
understanding consumers."
This field is often considered a sub-specialty of industrial-organizational psychology and is also
known as the psychology of consumer behavior or the psychology of marketing.

Consumer psychologists study a variety of topics including:

• How consumers choose businesses, products, and services
• The thought processes and emotions behind consumer decisions
• How environmental variables such as friends, family, media, and culture influence buying
decisions
• What motivates people to choose one product over another
• How personal factors and individual differences affect people's buying choices
• What marketers can do to effectively reach out to their target customers

Economic/Material Self
 I shop
,
I am.
therefore,

Economic/Material Self
According to the Engel, Kollat, Blackwell model (EBM model), the consumer decision-making
process is influenced and shaped by a number of factors and determinants, categorized in
three broad categories, namely individual differences, environmental influences and
psychological processes.

Economic/Material Self
A. Individual differences
• consumer resources
• knowledge
• attitudes
• motives
• personality
• values
• lifestyle

Economic/Material Self
B. Environmental influences
• culture
• social class
• personal influences
• family
• situation

Economic/Material Self
C. Psychological processes
• need recognition
• search for alternatives
• information processing
• culture
• pre-purchase alternative evaluation
• consumption and post-consumption
alternative evaluation
• divestment

Economic/Material Self
Shaping the Way We See Ourselves: The role of consumer culture
on our sense of self and identity

The Consumer Culture

Consumer culture is a form of material culture facilitated by the market, which thus created a
particular relationship between the consumer and the goods or services he or she uses or
consumes.

Dittmar, H. (2007)’s research consists of various strands that are connected through the fact
that they document empirically the impact of consumer culture—as the sociocultural and
ideological manifestation of capitalism if you will—on the identity and well-being of children,
adolescents, and adults . Yet, the fact that material goods play an important psychological role
for us is neither good nor bad by itself. There is a close psychological association between
identity—the subjective concept (or representation) that a person holds of him- or herself —and
material goods.

Economic/Material Self
They communicate and symbolize personal and social identity to self and others.
• Treasured material possessions often play a positive role for identity maintenance and
continuity.
• Favorite material possessions can help individuals to sustain a sense of who they are,
particularly during periods of change or crisis.
• As symbolic markers of personal history, they provide a life record of with whom and where
people have been over time, aiding their sense of connectedness, inner stability, and self-
continuity.
• Similarly, a concern with one's appearance, body shape, and fitness can be conducive to both
self-esteem and physical health, as long as people invest sensibly in products, services, and
activities that can, in fact, contribute to their well-being.

Yet, notwithstanding such positive features, there are specific ways in which consumer culture
has a detrimental impact on many individuals.

Economic/Material Self
 RESEARCH TIME
Research for the pros and cons of consumerism.

Pros cons

Note: This will definitely be part of your examination soon.

Economic/Material Self
GRADED ACTIVITIES/ASSIGNMENT
1. Journal 7.
Use the template you downloaded where you have written your Journals 1-6.

2. I Shop, therefor I am.

Use 8.5 x 11 MS Word document with Arial 12 font, justified margin and double space. Write your name and year/section/course
on the upper left portion of the document. The title of your essay must be at the center. The title is “Millennials’ Perception of
Beauty”. Answer the following questions:
1. What was/were your latest purchase/s online/offline? Why did you purchase that/those items/food?
2. Do your purchases reflect on who you are?
3. Are those purchases needs or wants?
4. How can this module help you to become a responsible consumer?

Note: Your answer must include supporting statements from the theories/concepts/ideas from what you have read from this
module and from your research. Copy-pasted output will not be graded.

File names:
Activity 1: LastName_Firstname (Journal 7) ex: Villanueva_Ryan (Journal 7)
Activity 2: LastName_Firstname (Shop 1) ex: Villanueva_Ryan (Shop 1)
References
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-consumer-psychology-2794899
https://www.prindlepost.org/2014/12/consumerism-capitalism-and-personal-identity/
https://faculty.washington.edu/jdb/452/452_chapter_02.pdf
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-consumer-psychology-2794899
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/29162/02chapter2.pdf?sequence=3
DITTMAR, H. COMMENTARIES: The Costs of Consumer Culture and the “Cage Within”: The Impact of the Material “Good Life” and “Body Perfect” Ideals on Individuals’
Identity and Well-Being. Psychological Inquiry, [s. l.], v. 18, n. 1, p. 23–31, 2007. DOI 10.1080/10478400701389045. Disponível em: http://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=bth&AN=25536477&site=eds-live. Acesso em: 6 abr. 2020.
https://vittana.org/15-consumerism-pros-and-cons
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/social-media-consumerism/
https://creately.com/blog/diagrams/ultimate-concept-map-tutorial/#Draw

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 UNiVERSiTY OF MAKATi
COLLEGE OF SCiENCE
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Thank You!