The following dissertation examines how consumers' assessment of an observed consumer is influenced by the form of payment and body
weight of the observed consumer. Although form of payment and weight are both common cues in the marketplace that relate to perceptions of
self-control, their interactive effect on social perception has not yet been examined. Across seven experiments, this dissertation finds that
assessments of an obese consumer are more favorable when that consumer uses a more painful (i.e., cash) versus a less painful (i.e., credit
card) form of payment. Furthermore, the findings show this effect is driven by inferred self-control. Specifically, obese consumers are thought
to have higher self-control when they pay with cash (vs. a credit card), which leads to more favorable evaluations. The results of the
experiments also reveal that this effect holds when the purchase is perceived to be diagnostic of obese consumers' self-control (e.g., food,
cigarettes) but not when the purchase is unrelated to obese consumers' perceived self-control (e.g., non-food). Finally, this dissertation also
finds that an observer's own traits affect the perceptions they make about others' use of cash and credit cards. Specifically, the final two
studies show that an observer's own objective self-control and subjective financial literacy affect how harshly they judge other consumers.
Observers who are higher in self-control and financial literacy assess obese consumers more favorably when they use cash compared to a credit
card. However, observers who are lower in self-control and financial literacy do not assess obese consumers differently based on how they pay.
This work makes a number of important contributions to marketing theory. First, this dissertation extends the literature in the paradigm of the
"pain of paying" by showing that more (i.e., cash) or less (i.e., credit card) painful forms of payment affect consumers' assessment of another
consumer. While prior work in the pain of payment area has shown robust evidence of consumers unique intra-individual responses to payment
methods with varying levels of associated psychological pain (e.g., consumers spend more when using a credit card compared to cash), no known
work has shown inter¬-individual responses to seeing another consumer paying with a more or less painful method. Form of payment as a cue to
judge another consumer's self-control is new to consumer research. Furthermore, while much extant work investigates the pervasive nature of
weight stigma and its negative consequences for overweight and obese individuals, little of this research provides actionable ways to reduce
such stigma. Accordingly, the current research provides novel insights into protecting obese consumers in the marketplace. Specifically, the
results suggest paying in cash may buffer obese consumers from such stigmatization. In addition, this is one of the first known works to show a
possible negative aspect of having high self-control; those with relatively high self-control may judge others who are perceived as having low
self-control (i.e., the obese) more harshly. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Marketing in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2018. / September 13, 2018. / Includes bibliographical references. / Maura L. Scott, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Martin Mende, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation;
Pamela Perrewé, University Representative; Michael K. Brady, Committee Member; Stephen M. Nowlis, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_661115 |
| Contributors | Absher, Carrie Skinner (author), Scott, Maura L. (professor co-directing dissertation), Mende, Martin (professor co-directing dissertation), Perrewe, Pamela L. (university representative), Brady, Michael K. (committee member), Nowlis, Stephen M. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Business (degree granting college), Department of Marketing (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (98 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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