2000 TheCostsandBenefitsofConsuming
- (Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) ⇒ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. (2000). “The Costs and Benefits of Consuming.” In: Journal of consumer Research, 27(2).In: Journal of consumer Research, 27(2). doi:10.1086/314324
Subject Headings: Basic Human Need.
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Abstract
Consuming is defined as behavior whereby entropy is increased in exchange for existential or experiential rewards. Existential rewards are well known - for example, the satisfaction of Maslowian needs. But experiential rewards are perhaps just as important: these refer to the temporary improvement in positive mood people experience when they are acting in goal-directed, purposeful ways. Consuming is one way for obtaining such experiences. It is suggested that in order to evaluate the impact of consuming it is necessary to measure the entropy costs of the behavior balanced against the psychic benefits it provides.
INTRODUCTION
HOW CONSUMER BEHAVIOR MEETS EXISTENTIAL NEEDS
Because consumer behavior is largely driven by the desire to satisfy needs that have been programmed in our minds either by the genes we inherit or the memes' we learn from the culture in which we live, it is useful to start the analysis with a consideration of human needs. Of the many taxonomies developed by psychologists, the one by Abraham Maslow (1968, 1971) is one of the most succinct, and one that is familiar to students of consumer behavior (Kilbourne 1987). The model involves only five factors or levels, and it is reasonably comprehensive. We might, therefore, use it to help with a preliminary classification of what motivates consumer behavior.
The "Lower" Needs: Survival and Safety According to Maslow's theory, the most basic needs that motivate a person are physiological survival needs: to eat, drink, have sex, breathe, sleep, be warm, and eliminate. When these needs are not met, the person will turn all of his or her psychic energy to the task of satisfying them. But as soon as these needs are met, a "higher" set of needs will usually attract a person' s attention. A great deal of consumer behavior is directed to satisfy survival needs: food, clothing, and shelter being paramount. However, as we shall see later, rarely does a product or service satisfy only basic needs; it is more usual for a whole range of lower and higher needs to be involved in every consumer exchange. Next on Maslow's hierarchy are safety needs: to live in a stable, predictable environment and to be free of anxiety. Many consumer decisions are prompted by safety needs, from buying a house in a "good" neighborhood to buying a handgun or antidepressant drugs. Other exchanges, including paying to get an advanced academic degree, or investing in retirement annuities, are also prompted at least in part by the desire to achieve security.
Love and Belonging
Midpoint in Maslow's scheme, the need for love and belonging is rooted in our fear of isolation and loneliness. Social animals like humans are genetically programmed to seek out the company of other members of the species. When alone (and especially when no pressing task demands attention), the quality of experience for most people declines; depression and bad mood take over (Csikszentmihalyi 1991). In addition to this generic need for human company, human beings have also evolved a more specific desire to be close and to share the experiences of one or a few other persons, usually of the opposite sex. Thus, a need for affection, to love and be loved, is also fundamental to human motivation.
The implications of this set of needs for consumer behavior are many and diverse. For example, bars, restaurants, sport arenas, museums, and concert halls provide opportunities to mix with others, to see and be seen. The entire entertainment industry is predicated on experiencing good times vicariously in the company of virtual fellow revelers. The psychic energy of consumers is targeted with ads that show masses of young people partying on beaches or in bars. If you buy this product, the subtext says, you will not have to be alone ever again.
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| Author | volume | Date Value | title | type | journal | titleUrl | doi | note | year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 TheCostsandBenefitsofConsuming | Mihály Csíkszentmihályi | The Costs and Benefits of Consuming | 10.1086/314324 | 2000 |