PSYCH100 Module 7: Material-Self PDF

TOPIC 7: THE MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:  Develop understanding about material self  Explain the association of self and possessions TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITY (LESSON PROPER): “A man’s Self i...

TOPIC 7: THE MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:  Develop understanding about material self  Explain the association of self and possessions TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITY (LESSON PROPER): “A man’s Self is the sum total of all that he can call his” – William James Our material possessions significantly influence our sense of self. May it be conscious or unconscious, some of our important decisions have been caused by economic pursuits. William James, an American psychologist, defined the material self as referring to tangible objects which we call as “mine”. They are viewed as extensions of ourselves as our identities are associated with them. Possessions and Behavior Our relationships with objects have evolved over time. The following are based on “The Psychology of Stuff and Things” (Jarret, 2013): a. Understanding Ownership - By 2 years old: already understand the concept of ownership - By 2 to 4 years old: children assume that the person who first possessed something is always the owner, even if the object was already given away - By 6 years old: exhibit “endowment effect”, the phenomenon characterized by preferring objects which are already possessed over those which are not b. Envy/Jealousy - Piaget observed that even babies show signs of aggression when their toys are taken away from them and given to someone else. An observation on 22-months-old babies in a day-care showed that almost 25% of conflicts was caused by defending a possessed object or wanting to take another’s object. c. Attachment Object - Most children have a “favorite” toy or object with which they have intense relationships. A child would normally respond in horror if someone would get his favorite toy or even make a copy of it. This may be explained by their magical thinking, that somehow that special object has a unique essence. This kind of thinking reappears in adulthood in the form of sentimental value, heirlooms, and mementos. d. Materialism - When children aged between 8 and 18 were interviewed regarding what makes them happy, materialism was seen to peak during middle adolescence (15-17 years old). Interestingly, this is also the time when self-esteem tends to be lowest. The researchers (Chaplin et al., 2007) also pointed out that letting adolescents have a sense of self-worth and achievement seems to be effective in lessening their materialistic attitude. e. Sense of Identity - When research participants’ brains were scanned, the areas known to be associated with thinking about the self were activated when they were shown objects which were labelled with “mine”. This implies that we create associates between our identities and things we own. Moreover, the concept of product-image congruity specifies that we tend to buy products which are congruent to our sense of self. Hence, we may sometimes use brands, product designs, logos, and fashion styles to communicate our self-concept. f. Conspicuous Consumption - Conspicuous consumption is the public display of economic power by spending much money on luxurious goods. This has been studied to communicate socio-economic status. Also, an experiment proved that those who were wearing branded shirts were more successful at convincing strangers to complete questionnaires, given a job, and solicit money.  g. Membership - Our possession of certain things can signal association with specific social groups. Loyalty is one of the reasons why some fans are motivated to fall in line for many hours to avail of a product or to spend much money on something with a logo. Moreover, some individuals would like to be one of the “cool tribe” that is why they will do whatever it takes to buy the limited edition. h. Loss - The more that our belongingness are linked with our identities, the more precious they become. This explains why destroyed, lost, or stolen valuables can cause grief or trauma. Greater than the loss of finances, people feel the psychological impact of loss. i. Disposal - There are also times when we intentionally let go of possessions. This may become a symbolism of having a new start like when you gave away your toys when you were a child or when you threw some mementos from a past relationship. Like a carapace, you shed some of your belongings to have a new identity. FACTORS INFLUENCING PURCHASING BEHAVIOR 1. Geographical group - People from certain area tend to prefer buying certain products. 2. Wealth/Income - Those who have something to spend tend to spend more 3. Education - People who have higher education levels are more likely to evaluate a product’s worth form various angles first before buying.  4. Occupation - People prioritize spending on things that are most likely relevant to their sources of income. 5. Family - Relatives’ opinions can be vital in purchasing a product. 6. Peers - Influence of peers or friends is apparent in the different social aspects especially in purchasing behavior of a teenager. 7. Age - Needs and priorities change over the lifespan 8. Personality - People who have high levels of agreeableness (i.e. those who are friendly, warm, tactful, and optimistic) would most likely buy products or pay services (Udo-Imeh, 2015) REFERENCES: Psychology Department. (2019). Understanding the self. Unpublished. Taag, G. C., Cuyan, A. S., Awingan, W. A., Balinggan, G. T., Carrera, W. D., & Perez, E. N. Understanding the self. Revised edition. Meycauayan City: IPM Publishing, c2019.