Effect of Consumer Self-Discrepancy on Materialism and Impulsive Buying: The Role of Subjective Well-Being
(R2021-104384)

AUTHORS

Beata Šeinauskien?, Kaunas University of Technology; Linas Pupelis, Kaunas University of Technology, School of Economics and Business

KEYWORDS

Materialism; Impulsive buying; self-discrepancy

ABSTRACT

Building on the theory of self-discrepancy and compensatory consumer behaviour model, we propose that subjective well-being in serial with materialism mediates the effect of self-discrepancy on impulsive buying. The serial and parallel mediation analysis results (data of 434 adults) indicated that greater self-discrepancy was related to poorer life satisfaction, which in turn related to greater materialism centrality, which promoted greater impulsive buying. Further, the greater the self-discrepancy, the more frequent the occurrence of negative affect, which relates to increased materialism happiness, which triggers impulsive buying. Self-discrepancy was negatively associated with the frequency of positive affect, which in turn, in contrast to expectations, was positively related to materialism, which stimulates impulsive buying.