Consumption‐Focused Self‐Expression Word of Mouth: A New Scale and Its Role in Consumer Research. Issue 11 (6th October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Saenger, Christina; Thomas, Veronica L.; Johnson, Jennifer Wiggins
• Is Part Of: Psychology & marketing. Volume 30:Issue 11(2013)
• Page Start: 959
• Page End: 970
• Publication Date: 2013-10-06
• Subjects: Marketing -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Motivation research (Marketing) -- Periodicals; Marketing -- Aspect psychologique -- Périodiques; Motivation, Études de (Marketing) -- Périodiques; 658.80019
• DOI: 10.1002/mar.20659
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0742-6046

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <p>This research represents the first systematic empirical examination of the motivation to spread word of mouth about consumption activities in order to self‐express, a phenomenon that has been observed in both the academic literature and the popular press. Consumption‐focused self‐expression is a motivation to engage in word‐of‐mouth communication that is distinct from other word‐of‐mouth motivations that have been discussed in the literature. This work defines <italic>consumption‐focused self‐expression word of mouth</italic> as communication about one's consumption activities for the purpose of expressing one's self‐concept and attracting attention to oneself. A scale to measure consumption‐focused self‐expression word of mouth is developed and shown to exhibit a consistent scale structure, acceptable reliability, and convergent, discriminant, nomological, and predictive validity. Scores on the consumption‐focused self‐expression word‐of‐mouth scale are shown to predict differences in the quantity and nature of consumers' actual word‐of‐mouth communications via the social networking Web site Facebook.</p> </abstract>