The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychological wellbeing
and uniqueness seeking behaviour. Early research in psychology has primarily followed a
pathogenic approach, focusing on the way in which stressful life events predispose an individual to
negative health outcomes. More recently a number of theorists and researchers have adopted a
salutogenic approach, which refers to the origins of physical and mental health and explores the
factors that assist individuals to maintain psychological and physical well-being in the face of
stressful situations (Antonovsky. 1979 & 1987; Pallant & Lae, 2002). Uniqueness seeking is a
relatively new construct that seems to be part of the repertoire of strengths an individual uses to
improve psychological well-being. Theorists postulate that moderate needs for uniqueness are
experienced more positively than extremely high or extremely low needs for uniqueness. (Lynn &
Snyder, 2002 and Snyder & Fromkin, 1980).
The study aims to determine the difference in psychological well-being in individuals with
varying needs for uniqueness; to explore the perceptions and subjective experience of uniqueness
seeking; and to explore the role uniqueness seeking plays in consumer behaviour. The
psychometric properties of two scales measuring uniqueness will also be investigated, as they have
not previously been used in a South African sample. To achieve these aims an availability sample
of 187 students completed self-report measures of psychological well-being and uniqueness seeking
behaviour namely, the Orientation to Life Scale (Antonovsky. 1987), the Self Attributed Need for
Uniqueness Scale (Lynn and Harris, 1997b) and the Desire for Unique Consumer Products Scale
(Lynn and Harris, 1997a). Sixteen of these students participated in focus groups in order to explore
the participants' subjective experience of being unique. A further 13 participants took part in focus
groups in order to explore the role uniqueness seeking plays in consumer behaviour.
The measures were found to be reliable in this particular group and the means and standard
deviations calculated were comparable with those mentioned in literature. No direct relationship
between psychological well-being and uniqueness seeking was found, nor was it found that
differences in psychological well-being exist between individuals with a moderate sense of
uniqueness and individuals with a high or low sense of uniqueness. Individuals perceive
uniqueness to be a quality that emerges naturally through the expression of the self and that actively
seeking to be unique or not is rather due to a poor self-image. It was further found that individuals
would go to some length to protect their sense of uniqueness, that most individuals preferred a sense
of moderate uniqueness to either extremely high or extremely low sense of uniqueness, and that
most individuals are satisfied with their level of uniqueness. Individuals described feeling happy
and more confident when they perceived themselves to be unique. These individuals believe that
the stage of life they are in and significant others play a role in determining the way in which
uniqueness will have meaningful expression for them. Uniqueness seeking does not play as big a
role in consumer behaviour as was expected, however, it does influence the consumption of
consumer goods to a certain extent.
It is therefore concluded that uniqueness seeking influences psychological well-being
indirectly by the relationship it has with self-image. self-identity, self-confidence, group
identifications, and subjective happiness. These findings have implications for future research in
that the need for a valid and reliable instrument measuring uniqueness for use in South African
samples is highlighted. The findings further clarify the uniqueness seeking construct thus
contributing to the literary database of constructs that play a role in psychological well-being. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/836 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Law, Colleen Ashleigh |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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