The need to belong motivates demand for authentic objects
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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Integrating Computerized Linguistic and Social Network Analyses to Capture Addiction Recovery Capital in an Online Community
Published on: May 31, 2019
George E Newman1, Rosanna K Smith1
1Yale School of Management, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
Abstract:
The present studies examine how demand for certain types of authentic objects is related to a more fundamental need to form social connections with others. Specifically, Experiment 1 demonstrates that manipulating the need to belong leads to greater valuation of celebrity memorabilia. Experiment 2 provides converging evidence by demonstrating that individual differences in the need to belong moderate the relationship between beliefs in essence transfer (i.e., contagion) and valuation. This paper lends insight into the underlying motives behind demand for authentic objects and, more broadly, reinforces the compensatory role of consumption in satisfying core psychological needs.
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