Journal of Consumer Research
November 9, 2010












































































































































































































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Journal of Consumer Research
Recently Published Online

Work or Fun? How Task Construal and Completion Influence Regulatory Behavior
Juliano Laran
Chris Janiszewski


Volitional behaviors can be construed as "work" (extrinsically motivated) or as "fun" (intrinsically motivated). When volitional behaviors are construed as an obligation to work, completing the behavior depletes a consumer, and subsequent self-control becomes more difficult. When volitional behaviors are construed as an opportunity to have fun, completing the behavior vitalizes a consumer, and subsequent self-control becomes easier. Six studies show how individual differences and contextual factors influence the construal of a task, the motivation for completing it, and subsequent regulatory behavior.

DOI: 10.1086/656576
Online Publication Date: August 24, 2010.


References

Selected Media Mentions

TIME Magazine
To Keep Willpower from Flagging, Remember the F-Word: 'Fun'

CNN
Improve memory, do your chores

The Globe and Mail
Fun with self-control

MSN News
Can resisting cravings and desires be fun?

PsychCentral
New Perspective Improves Self-Control

Medical News Today
Could Learning Self-Control Be Enjoyable?

EurekAlert!
Could learning self-control be enjoyable?

Science Daily
Could Learning Self-Control Be Enjoyable?

Eureka! Science News
Could learning self-control be enjoyable?

PhysOrg.com
Could learning self-control be enjoyable?

Science Blog
Could learning self-control be enjoyable?


Generous Paupers and Stingy Princes: Power Drives Consumer Spending on Self versus Others
Derek D. Rucker
David Dubois
Adam D. Galinsky


How can consumer spending on self versus others be affected by temporary shifts in states of power? Individuals experiencing a state of power spent more money on themselves than on others, whereas those experiencing a state of powerlessness spent more money on others than on themselves. This effect was observed using a variety of power manipulations (hierarchical roles, print advertisements, episodic recall, and mental role-playing), across spending intentions and actual dollars spent, and among college and national samples. This effect occurs because power and powerlessness affect the psychological utility of self versus others, and this in turn affects the monetary worth allocated to spending on self versus others. The research makes novel contributions to appreciating how the spending on the self versus others varies as a function of psychological states and increases our understanding of the role of power in consumer behavior. See the video on JCR's home page at http://ejcr.org.

DOI: 10.1086/657162
Online Publication Date: October 1, 2010.


References

Selected Media Mentions

The Wall Street Journal
Stingy Princes, Generous Paupers

The Independent
Who spends more on others, bosses or employees?

Psychology Today
Sex, Power and Generosity

softpedia
Spending Depends on the Feeling

EurekAlert!
Generous paupers and stingy princes? Power and consumer spending

Science Daily
Generous Paupers and Stingy Princes? Power and Consumer Spending

R&D Magazine
Generous paupers and stingy princes? Power and consumer spending

Eureka! Science News
Generous paupers and stingy princes? Power and consumer spending

Genetic Engineering News
Generous paupers and stingy princes? Power and consumer spending

PhysOrg.com
Generous paupers and stingy princes? Power and consumer spending

Science Blog
Generous paupers and stingy princes? Power and consumer spending

RedOrbit
Generous Paupers And Stingy Princes? Power And Consumer Spending


Ovulation, Female Competition, and Product Choice: Hormonal Influences on Consumer Behavior
Kristina M. Durante
Vladas Griskevicius
Sarah E. Hill
Carin Perilloux
Norman P. Li


Recent research shows that women experience nonconscious shifts across different phases of the monthly ovulatory cycle. For example, women at peak fertility (near ovulation) are attracted to different kinds of men and show increased desire to attend social gatherings. Building on the evolutionary logic behind such effects, the authors examined how, why, and when hormonal fluctuations associated with ovulation influenced women's product choices. At peak fertility women nonconsciously choose products that enhance appearance (e.g., choosing sexy rather than more conservative clothing). This hormonally regulated effect appears to be driven by a desire to outdo attractive rival women. Consequently, minimizing the salience of attractive women who are potential rivals suppresses the ovulatory effect on product choice. This research provides evidence of how, why, and when consumer behavior is influenced by hormonal factors.

DOI: 10.1086/656575
Online Publication Date: August 27, 2010.


References

Selected Media Mentions

BBC News
Ovulation hormones make women 'choose clingy clothes'

BusinessWeek
Women Want Sexy Clothes When Ovulating: Study

CNN
Women buy sexier clothes when most fertile

MSNBC
Women's behavior linked to ... ovulation?

Discovery News
Ovulation Changes Women's Behavior

The Times of India
Ovulation changes women's behaviour

Sydney Morning Herald
It's not a shoe fetish, it's natural selection

United Press International
Women buy sexier clothing when ovulating

Canada.com
Ovulating women buy sexier clothing, shows study

Medical News Today
Women Buy More Daring Clothes When They Are Ovulating

EurekAlert!
Mama wears Prada: Ovulating women buy sexier clothing

Science Daily
Why Do Consumers Disclose Sensitive Information to Shady-Looking Websites?

Eureka! Science News
Mama wears Prada: Ovulating women buy sexier clothing

PhysOrg.com
Mama wears Prada: Ovulating women buy sexier clothing


The Locus of Choice:
Personal Causality and Satisfaction with Hedonic
and Utilitarian Decisions

Simona Botti
Ann L. McGill


Consumers may consume the same products or services with different goals, for example, for their own pleasure (a hedonic goal) or to achieve some higher level purpose (a utilitarian goal). This article investigates whether this difference in goals influences satisfaction with an outcome that was either self-chosen or externally determined. The authors manipulate consumption goals, controlling for the outcomes, the option valence, and whether the externally made choice was determined by an expert or at random. The outcome of a self-made choice is more satisfying than the outcome of an externally made choice when the goal is hedonic but not when it is utilitarian. This effect results from the greater perceived personal causality associated with terminally motivated activities, such as hedonic choices, relative to instrumentally motivated activities, such as utilitarian choices.

DOI: 10.1086/656570
Online Publication Date: September 21, 2010.


References

Selected Media Mentions

Medical News Today
When Pleasure Is The Goal, Making Our Own Choices Is More Satisfying

EurekAlert!
Why making our own choices is more satisfying when pleasure is the goal

Science Daily
Why Making Our Own Choices Is More Satisfying When Pleasure Is the Goal

R&D Magazine
Why making our own choices is more satisfying when pleasure is the goal

Eureka! Science News
Why making our own choices is more satisfying when pleasure is the goal

PhysOrg.com
Why making our own choices is more satisfying when pleasure is the goal

Science Blog
Why making our own choices is more satisfying when pleasure is the goal

Editorial Transition

Please remember that the current editors' terms will be ending on June 30, 2011. Any manuscripts (new or revised) received after this date will be processed by the new editor(s).

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