The present study analyzes envy and its effects on individuals’ willingness to pay.
On the basis of previous research in the field of envy, an experiment with 80 subjects was designed in order to find out more about malicious envy in relation with branded products. By eliciting malicious envy through a pitch-and-toss game with an unfair outcome, a better-off and a worse-off participant could be determined.
During the experiment, malicious envy was supposed to influence individuals’ willingness-topay
for a bar of chocolate. After collecting the willingnesses-to-pay, the results of an experimental group and a control group were compared.
The findings show that malicious envy effectively influences the subjects’ willingness-to-pay for the branded product as well as for the no-name product in a negative way, whereas the general perception of the chocolate is positive.
Table of Contents
1 Literature Review and Envy Theory
2 Envy and the Power of Brands
3 Relevance
4 Experiment and Method
5 Hypotheses
6 Results and Discussion
7 Limitations
8 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this study is to analyze the influence of malicious envy on consumers' willingness-to-pay for branded products. By utilizing a controlled experimental setting involving social comparison, the thesis explores whether the elicitation of envy affects purchase behavior and how individuals manage their self-image when confronted with an undeserved, inferior situation.
- Psychological mechanisms of malicious vs. benign envy
- The impact of social upward comparison on consumer desire
- Role of brand stature and status symbols in eliciting envy
- Experimental methodology using a pitch-and-toss game to simulate unfair outcomes
- The discrepancy between subjective perception of products and actual willingness-to-pay
Excerpt from the Book
1 Literature Review and Envy Theory
Envy is a sensation that is known by people for thousands of years. In the beginning of the Old Testament in the bible, Cain murders his brother Abel. The reason for the murder of Abel is Cain’s envy and is known today as “Cain’s complex”. As God rejects Cain’s offering, he accepts Abel’s which makes Cain to murder his brother (Nauta, 2008). Furthermore, the last of the Ten Commandments disclaims envy and jealousy and says that “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's” (Crusius & Mussweiler, 2012). Additionally, envy is also one of the seven deadly sins in the Catholic religion (van de Ven, Zeelenberg & Pieters, 2009).
Today, envy is still a well-known feeling but not many people dare to speak about it or to show it. Whereas children freely express envious and spiteful feelings and actions during childhood, levels of envy and spitefulness decrease with age. Adults express envy in a subtle way but at the same time, it is still effective (Steinbeis & Singer, 2013).
Generally speaking, envy is seen by one as “an asymmetry with its peer” (Laverde-Rubio, 2003) and occurs “when a person lacks another’s superior quality, achievement or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it” (Parrott & Smith, 1993).
Summary of Chapters
1 Literature Review and Envy Theory: Provides a comprehensive overview of the historical and psychological foundations of envy, distinguishing between its benign and malicious forms.
2 Envy and the Power of Brands: Examines how marketers utilize envy as a tool and the prerequisites for brands to become status symbols that elicit such feelings.
3 Relevance: Discusses the significance of researching the intersection between consumer psychology, envy, and the effectiveness of brand marketing strategies.
4 Experiment and Method: Describes the design of the empirical study, including the recruitment of 80 students and the use of a pitch-and-toss game to elicit envy.
5 Hypotheses: Outlines the expected relationships between malicious envy, willingness-to-pay, and the influence of relationship dynamics between participants.
6 Results and Discussion: Analyzes the collected data using statistical software, evaluating the consistency of participant responses and comparing group findings.
7 Limitations: Critically reflects on constraints such as sample size, the selection of chocolate as an experimental medium, and gender-specific differences.
8 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, noting that while malicious envy influences willingness-to-pay, participants often exhibit a self-serving bias to protect their self-image.
Keywords
Envy, Malicious Envy, Benign Envy, Willingness-to-pay, Consumer Behavior, Brand Power, Social Comparison, Experimental Psychology, Status Symbols, Self-serving Bias, Marketing, Product Evaluation, Chocolate, Social Influence, Guilt
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work investigates the psychological influence of malicious envy on a consumer's willingness-to-pay for branded versus non-branded products.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The themes include behavioral economics, consumer psychology, brand management, and social comparison theory.
What is the central research question?
The study aims to determine how malicious envy, triggered by an unfair outcome in social comparison, affects an individual's evaluation and monetary valuation of a product.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author employs a quantitative experimental design involving 80 participants, utilizing a pitch-and-toss game to create specific envy-inducing social conditions.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical definition of envy, its role in brand marketing, the specific setup of the experiment, and an evaluation of the resulting data compared to the initial hypotheses.
Which keywords best characterize this thesis?
Key terms include malicious envy, willingness-to-pay, consumer behavior, brand power, and social comparison.
How did the pitch-and-toss game influence the results?
The game served to create an "unfair" social situation, which successfully triggered malicious envy, forcing the worse-off participants to confront their status relative to the better-off participant.
What role does the "self-serving bias" play in the author's findings?
The author argues that participants used a self-serving bias to euphemize their inferior status, which explains the discrepancy between their high product ratings and their lower willingness-to-pay.
Did the experiment confirm all initial hypotheses?
No, the findings were mixed; while some effects of envy were observed, the expectation that envy would consistently increase the value of branded goods was partially contradicted by the participants' subsequent behavior.
- Citar trabajo
- Regina Schneider (Autor), 2014, Envy in Consumption. The Influence of Envy on Consumers’ Buying Behavior for Branded Products, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/446377
