Essays on perceptual differences between experiential and material purchases

Abstract

This research proposes the situational and dispositional factors which have effect on the perception of experiential and material purchases. In the first part, we investigate the relationship between the type of purchases (material vs. experiential) and the sharing intention of purchases is moderated by communication media (online social network service vs. face-to-face), as well as the ease of representation underlies the effect of the purchase type and communication media on the intention to share. When individuals communicate in the online social network service (SNS), individuals with experiential (vs. material) purchases are more likely to have a higher intention to share of their purchases because they think that they can easily represent themselves with their purchases. However, when individuals communicate in face-to-face (FTF), individuals with material (vs. experiential) purchases are more likely to have a higher intention to share of their purchases because these are tangible, which is relatively easy to present them comparing to experiential purchases. In the second part of this research, we investigate the relationship between the type of purchases (material vs. experiential) and the evaluation of the purchase is moderated by power distance belief (PDB), as well as comparison motivation underlies the effect of the purchase type and PDB on the purchase evaluation. Under the experiential purchase situation, individuals with high (vs. low) power distance belief are likely to have lower purchase evaluations because they are more (vs. less) likely to compare with other experiential goods. Also, under the material purchase situation, the purchase evaluation of between individuals with high or low power distance belief does not differ because material purchases already motivate individuals to compare other material goods. Also, this research proposes that individuals with high (vs. low) power distance belief are more likely to have comparison motivation of the purchase because of a greater need for structure.