Research

Residential mobility (the extent to which people change residences) plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviors, impacting market demand, brand choices, and consumption patterns. The current study investigates the impact of residential mobility on keeping up behaviors. We propose that mobile (vs. stable) consumers exhibit less keeping up behaviors because they socially compare less to their broad yet shallow social network. Across 5 studies using both population-level data and individual-level data in which we both manipulate and measure residential mobility, we show that high residential mobility reduces keeping up behaviors systematically, and this effect is mediated by social comparison (high residential mobility reduces consumers' social comparison tendency).  

Keywords: residential mobility, keeping up behaviors, social comparison, social network

Consumers have both internal (self) and external (other) signaling targets. We developed the consumer signaling preference scale (CSPS) to measure consumers signaling preference. The scale is proven excellent psychometric properties (reliability and validity) across the five studies. The first study confirmed its reliability and structural validity. The second study shows that the CSPS has good cross-cultural validity (with English, French, and Chinese samples). Study 3 investigated the antecedents and consequences of CSPS in consumer contexts, indicating that CSPS has good construct and discriminant validity. Study 4 further demonstrates that CSPS has good predictive validity. Study 5 shows that self-signalers with budget concerns prefer discounted luxury compared to rented luxury, while other signalers like both equally.

Keywords: self signaling, other signaling, CSPS, luxury consumption

Greenwash perception has profound influence on the success of entities’ initiatives. The current study leveraged secondary data and experimental methods to investigate the ESG performance of big (vs. small) companies and the impact of perceived income inequality on consumers’ perceptions of greenwash towards big (vs. small) companies’ ESG-related initiatives. Across 7 studies, we revealed that consumers are more likely to perceive big companies as greenwashing with their ESG-related initiatives compared to small companies, despite big companies actually having higher ESG performance. This distorted perception is amplified by consumers’ perceived economic inequality in society. The process is mediated by lower trust for big companies than for small companies.

Keywords: greenwashing, company size, ESG initiative, inequality

This review paper explores psychological ownership (PO) in the context of secondhand goods consumption. It examines factors impacting PO, including previous owner and target factors, individual characteristics, and process/context factors. Consequences of secondhand goods consumption are discussed, such as its influence on consumer behavior, the reverse endowment effect, and consumer well-being. The paper also addresses the unique role of PO in SHGs and offers guidance for promoting sustainable consumption practices. This research provides insights for marketers, policymakers, and individuals interested in the secondhand market.

Keywords: psychological ownership, secondhand goods, sustainable market

Xie, D., Shrum, L. J., & Lowrey, T. M. “Residential mobility and secondhand goods”

Topic: Secondhand consumption, 2 studies done

Xie, D., Shrum, L. J., & Lowrey, T. M. “Residential mobility and risk taking behaviors”

Topic: Risk taking, 3 studies done

Xie, D., Zhao, Z., Duan, W., & Hu, W. (2016). The Application, Characteristic and Inspiration of Hopeful

Thinking in Clinical Area. Chinese Journal of Psychological Science. 39 (3): 741-747.

Duan, W., & Xie, D. (2019). Measuring Adolescent Flourishing: Psychometric Properties of Flourishing

Scale in a Sample of Chinese Adolescents. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 37 (1): 131-135.