THESIS
2019
vi, 41 pages : illustrations ; 30 cm
Abstract
Ironic consumption refers to using a product with the intent of signalling a meaning that
reverses the conventional meaning of the product. This thesis proposes that consumers low in
self-concept clarity are more likely to engage in ironic consumption compared to consumers
high in self-concept clarity. Low self-concept clarity is associated with a motivation to maintain
a stable self-concept and a reluctance do anything that signals an identity change in case that
further destabilizes the already low self-concept clarity. Low self-concept clarity consumers
would want to avoid sending strong signals about their preferences/identities because they
themselves aren’t clear about their preferences and who they are. At the same time, consumers
with a low self-concept clarity may also...[
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Ironic consumption refers to using a product with the intent of signalling a meaning that
reverses the conventional meaning of the product. This thesis proposes that consumers low in
self-concept clarity are more likely to engage in ironic consumption compared to consumers
high in self-concept clarity. Low self-concept clarity is associated with a motivation to maintain
a stable self-concept and a reluctance do anything that signals an identity change in case that
further destabilizes the already low self-concept clarity. Low self-concept clarity consumers
would want to avoid sending strong signals about their preferences/identities because they
themselves aren’t clear about their preferences and who they are. At the same time, consumers
with a low self-concept clarity may also want to define an identity that they can use to signal
who they are.
Ironic consumption offers a unique opportunity for consumers with low self-concept clarity
because it enables them to try out transitory identities without actually committing to anything
in particular. Ironic consumption allows consumers to signal different meanings- one to people
who detect the irony and one to those who don’t. This ambiguous signal insulates consumers
from the risk of instability of self as well as disapproval because any criticism can have the
defence, ‘I was just being ironic’. Three experiments are reported in support of these
hypotheses. Collectively, this thesis suggests that people with low self-concept clarity use
ironic consumption as a way to reconcile two seemingly competing motivations of stable self-concept
and identity exploration.
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