The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption

by Saad, Gad

• ISBN13: 9781410616302
• ISBN10: 1410616304
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-02-28
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc

Summary

The Evolutionary Bases of Consumptionby Gad Saad applies Darwinian principles in understanding our consumption patterns and the products of popular culture that most appeal to individuals. The first and only scholarly work to do so, this is a captivating study of the adaptive reasons behind our behaviors, cognitions, emotions, and perceptions. This lens of analysis suggests how we come to make selections such as choosing a mate, the foods we eat, the gifts that we offer, and more. It also highlights how numerous forms of dark side consumption, including pathological gambling, compulsive buying, pornographic addiction, and eating disorders, possess a Darwinian etiology. Engaging and diverse in scope, the book maps consumption phenomena onto four key Darwinian modules: survival, reproduction, kin selection, and reciprocal altruism. As an interesting proposal, the author suggests that media and advertising contents exist in their particular forms because they are a reflection of our evolved human nature - negating the notion that they exist through the reverse causal link, as proposed by social constructivists. The link between evolutionary theory and consumption behaviors is detailed throughout the book via an examination of (among many others): appearance-enhancing products and services; financial and physical risk-taking; use of sexual imagery and the depictions of women in advertising; and television programs, movies, songs, music videos, literature, religion, and art. The Evolutionary Bases of Consumptionwill appeal to evolutionists who desire to explore new areas wherein evolutionary theory can be applied; consumer and marketing scholars who wish to learn about the ways in which biological-and evolutionary-based theorizing can be infused into the consumer behavior/marketing/advertising disciplines; as well as other interdisciplinary scholars interested in gaining knowledge about the power of evolutionary theory in explaining a wide range of behavioral phenomena.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction	p. xvii
What Is Evolutionary Psychology?	p. 1
Historical Overview Leading Up to the Founding of Evolutionary Psychology	p. 2
What is Evolutionary Psychology?	p. 5
Proximate Versus Ultimate Explanations	p. 8
Domain-Specific Versus General-Purpose Modules	p. 13
Chapter Summary	p. 16
Consumer Research: Domain-General and Proximate-Level Theorizing	p. 18
Proximate Models Utilizing Domain-Independent General-Purpose Mechanisms	p. 19
Learning	p. 20
Motivation	p. 23
Culture	p. 24
Standardization Versus Adaptation	p. 28
Decision Making	p. 31
Perception	p. 37
Attitude Formation and Attitude Change	p. 43
Emotions	p. 45
Personality	p. 49
Applications of Evolutionary Psychology in Other Disciplines	p. 53
Chapter Summary	p. 58
Consumption and Darwinian Modules	p. 59
The Reproductive Module	p. 59
Human Mating as a Consumption Choice	p. 62
Information Search in Mate Selection	p. 64
Gift Giving as a Courtship Ritual	p. 67
Sex Differences in Aggregate Consumption Patterns	p. 69
Toy Preferences	p. 70
Appearance-Enhancing Products and Services	p. 71
Cosmetic and Plastic Procedures	p. 71
High Heels, Haircuts, and Provocative Attire	p. 73
The Myth Behind the Beauty Myth	p. 75
Risk-Related Consumption Phenomena	p. 78
Financial Risk Taking	p. 78
Physical Risk Taking	p. 80
The Evolutionary Roots of Conspicuous Consumption	p. 84
Conspicuous Consumption in Religious Settings	p. 89
The Universality and Innateness of Conspicuous Consumption	p. 91
Philanthropy: Costly Signaling Via Nonreciprocal Altruism	p. 95
The Survival Module	p. 97
The Kin Selection Module	p. 101
Family Research in Consumer Behavior	p. 101
Evolutionary Account of Kin Relationships	p. 104
Darwinian Perspective on Birth Order Effects in the Consumption Setting	p. 108
The Reciprocation Module	p. 111
Gift Giving as a Means of Creating and/or Solidifying Bonds	p. 112
Consumption Behaviors Meant to Signal Group Membership	p. 113
Identifying the Nonreciprocators	p. 117
Cross-Cultural Differences in the Definition of Friendship	p. 119
Chapter Summary	p. 121
Advertising Content and Media Effects: Mirrors of Human Nature	p. 123
Masculinity and Femininity From a Social Constructivist Perspective	p. 124
Depiction of Femininity	p. 125
Depiction of Masculinity	p. 128
Depiction of Masculinity and Femininity in Children's Mediums	p. 133
Depiction of the Dynamics Between Men and Women	p. 136
Evolutionary Account of Masculinity and Femininity	p. 138
Depiction of Sexuality in Advertising	p. 141
Use of Sexual Imagery and the Depiction of Women in Advertising	p. 141
Variables That Moderate Reactions to Sex in Advertising	p. 146
Condemnation of Advertising	p. 147
Prescriptive Strategies to Address "Sexist" Advertising	p. 150
Standardization Versus Adaptation of Advertising Message	p. 152
Advertising Slogans and Darwinian Modules	p. 155
Physical Attractiveness in Advertising: A Darwinian Perspective	p. 157
Chapter Summary	p. 161
The Darwinian Roots of Cultural Products	p. 163
Evolutionary Perspective on Culture	p. 165
Memetic Theory	p. 166
Content Analysis of Specific Cultural Products	p. 168
Television Themes	p. 169
Soap Operas	p. 174
Talk Shows	p. 179
Movies	p. 183
Songs	p. 188
Music Videos	p. 196
Literature	p. 198
Self-Help Books	p. 202
Religion	p. 211
Art	p. 214
Chapter Summary	p. 217
The Darwinian Roots of "Dark-Side" Consumption	p. 219
The Darwinian Etiology of the Seven Deadly Sins	p. 220
Darwinian Medicine and the Promotion of Health	p. 222
Public Service Announcements and Evolutionary Theory	p. 224
Analysis of Specific Dark-Side Consumption Behaviors	p. 227
Pornography	p. 228
Eating Disorders	p. 236
Social Constructivist Perspective	p. 236
Evolutionary Perspective	p. 243
Gambling	p. 245
Demographic Risk Factors Associated With Pathological Gambling	p. 247
Domain-General Perspective of Addiction	p. 250
Proximate Theories of Gambling	p. 252
Evolutionary Explanation of Pathological Gambling	p. 254
Compulsive Buying	p. 255
Women and Compulsive Buying	p. 256
Domain-General Perspective of Compulsive Buying	p. 257
Proximate Issues Addressed by Marketing Scholars	p. 259
Evolutionary Explanation of Compulsive Buying	p. 261
Chapter Summary	p. 263
Benefits of Darwinizing Consumer Research	p. 265
Consilience, Fuller Explanations, and Novel Hypotheses	p. 265
Evolutionary Psychology as an Epistemological Heuristic	p. 269
Does Evolutionary Theory Yield Inactionable and/or Impractical Information?	p. 271
The "Darwinizing" of the Cognate Disciplines Closest to Consumer Behavior	p. 272
Chapter Summary	p. 275
Concluding Remarks	p. 276
References	p. 277
Author Index	p. 317
Subject Index	p. 329
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