연애 관계에서 미혼 남녀는 이성의 경험적 과시 소비(Experiential Conspicuous Consumption)를 어떻게 해독하고 반응하는가?

초록

Recently, as consumption trends have shifted from material purchases to experiential purchases, there has been an increase in conspicuous consumption through material purchases (referred to as “MCC: material conspicuous consumption” in this study) as well as conspicuous consumption through luxury experiences (referred to as “ECC: experiential conspicuous consumption” in this study). Based on the evolutionary theory of conspicuous consumption, this study examined potential romantic partners' reactions to ECC. Specifically, this study explored 1) differences in perceptions of MCC vs. ECC, 2) the symbolism of ECC in relation to wealth and status, 3) the effectiveness of ECC and differences in its effectiveness by gender, and 4) factors that affect the effect of ECC in the context of romantic relationships among unmarried men and women. As a result of in-depth interviews with 20 unmarried men and women, this study found that ECC plays a significant role in romantic relationships. Specifically, first, both single men and women perceive others ECC less negatively than MCC; second, ECC symbolizes wealth and status. Individuals perceive ECC as consumption for and by the upper class. Third, the cognitive and behavioral responses of ECC to the opposite sex differed by gender. Women tended to react positively toward men who engaged in ECC, while men tended to react negatively toward women who engaged in this consuming behavior. Finally, we found the economic power of the opposite sex and whether to actively display of ECC or not as factors affecting the responses of unmarried men and women. The lower the economic power of the opposite sex, and the more actively the opposite sex flaunts ECC, the more negative the reactions of single men and women towards the opposite sex engaging in ECC. This study provides new implications for the study of evolutionary-based conspicuous consumption and for the study of material and experiential consumption.

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