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Motives underlying human agency: How self-efficacy versus self-enhancement affect consumer behavior
Christopher Cannon1, Derek D Rucker2
1Shidler College of Business, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2404 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822, United States.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|April 3, 2022
Summary
Agency, an orientation prioritizing the self, can be driven by self-efficacy or self-enhancement. Understanding these distinct motives precisely predicts consumer and human behavior, impacting well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Consumer Behavior
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Agency, an individual's self-prioritizing orientation, has mixed outcomes.
- It can drive task accomplishment but also materialism and narcissism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review research on agency as a hierarchical framework.
- To differentiate the motives underlying agency: self-efficacy and self-enhancement.
- To explore how these motives differentially impact consumption and psychological well-being.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent research on the hierarchical conceptualization of agency.
- Analysis of studies examining the distinct motives of self-efficacy and self-enhancement.
- Synthesis of findings on the differential effects of these motives on consumer and psychological outcomes.
Main Results:
- Agency can be hierarchically structured, stemming from distinct motives.
- Self-efficacy and self-enhancement are separable motives driving agency.
- These distinct motives differentially influence consumer behavior and psychological well-being.
Conclusions:
- Recognizing the distinct motives of agency (self-efficacy, self-enhancement) enhances prediction.
- This nuanced understanding improves insights into consumer and general human behavior.
- Differentiating agency motives is key for understanding psychological well-being and consumption patterns.
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