贫富分化加剧下的"压力应对型"消费行为：类型、心理机制与影响

China is now experiencing a period of fast social transition, during which the social mobility is increasing rapidly, the polarization between the rich and the poor is largely intensified, people are facing with great social comparison pressure. Under such a social context, Chinese consumer behaviors are presenting new patterns and features. One of the most salient changes is the emergence of coping consumer behavior. That is, some consumption behaviors are adopted as coping strategy to deal with social pressure, rather than expression of self. Therefore, the traditional and popular self-concept view of consumer behavior in Western marketing theory is not enough in explaining Chinese consumer behaviors. Based on social comparison perspective, our research attempts to build a new theoretical framework by integrating individual process and social process to understand the new characteristics Chinese consumers present. Specifically, we are trying to answer the following questions: What kind of consumption behaviors are commonly used to cope with social comparison pressure? How consumption behavior could relieve social comparison pressure? What consequences would such consumption behavior bring about to individuals and the society? The answers to these research questions are very important both theoretically and practically. Theoretically speaking, social comparison perspective is a new approach in consumer behavior research, which would make contributions to the mainstream view of taking consumer behaviors as expression of self-concept and lifestyle. Practically speaking, our research would provide suggestions for companies to make effective marketing plans and for public administration to lead healthy consumer behavior.

中国目前处于快速变迁的社会转型阶段，社会流动与贫富分化加剧，社会比较压力凸显，消费者行为表现出新的模式和特点，其中，个体为应对社会比较压力而出现的消费行为尤其值得关注。对于目前中国消费者行为中的一些新现象和新特点，西方以个体"自我概念"为核心的消费者行为理论的解释力相当有限。本项目从"社会比较"视角出发，试图建立以个体参与的社会过程为核心来解释消费行为的理论框架，以此阐释当前中国消费者行为的新特点。课题采用多种实证方法，探讨"压力应对型"消费行为的类型与前因后果：人们会通过哪些消费行为来应对社会比较压力？这些行为如何起到缓解社会比较压力的作用？又会给个人和社会带来怎样的影响？项目的理论创新在于：从"社会比较"视角考察"压力应对型"消费行为，将凸显社会因素与过程的重要作用，弥补西方主流消费者行为理论过分关注"自我表达型"消费行为的不足。以研究成果为基础，我们将对消费政策制定和企业营销策略提出建议。

本项目的主题是中国社会贫富分化加剧背景下的"压力应对型"消费行为。.项目的现实背景：近四十年的社会转型过程中，出现了明显的社会流动与贫富分化，社会比较压力凸显，人们的消费行为表现出新的模式和特点，其中，个体为应对社会比较压力而出现的消费行为及相关社会行为尤其值得研究。.项目的理论背景：对于目前中国消费者行为中的一些新现象和新特点，西方以个体"自我概念"为核心的消费者行为理论的解释力相当有限，如果从"社会比较"视角考察"压力应对型"消费行为，将凸显社会文化因素与群际关系的重要作用，弥补西方主流消费者行为理论过分偏重"自我表达型"消费行为的不足，从而实现理论创新。.整体而言，我们完成了既定的研究任务。在回顾大量跨学科文献的基础上，课题组进行了深入的理论分析，形成并逐步完善了理论框架，开展了一系列实证研究，探讨了消费者在阶层分化与社会比较情境下的各类典型行为，主要包括补偿性消费、亲社会行为、对品牌的污名化等，阐释了这些行为背后的心理机制，考察了作为压力应对方式的消费行为及其他群际行为所带来的个体与社会结果。.在研究过程中，随着调研和思考的深入，我们对研究主题做了比较大的扩展，探索了转型升级背景下与消费行为和营销创新有关的诸多课题，包括中国消费者需求升级的路径、对文化混搭的态度、对品牌本真性的多维理解、共享消费及亲友圈消费等等，建立了消费5.0的理论模式。.以研究成果为基础，我们提出了“营销如何让人生更美好”的课题，主张用人生境界的升华来引领消费升级、避免消费误区，以共享意识的增强来化解“获得感难题”及阶层分化过程中出现的群际关系矛盾。.截止到2017年12月，课题组成员发表了与研究主题密切相关的成果27篇（其中国际期刊英文论文6篇，中文核心期刊11篇，著作章节2篇，案例1篇，学术会议论文7篇），还有多篇论文在写作中。.