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Religiosity’s influence on stability-seeking consumption during times of great uncertainty: the case of the coronavirus pandemic

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  • Elizabeth A. Minton

    (University of Wyoming)

  • Frank G. Cabano

    (University of Texas at El Paso)

Abstract

Prior research shows that highly religious consumers are more stable through times of uncertainty, in part due to religious support networks. However, several situations (e.g., pandemics, epidemics, natural disasters, mass shootings) represent unique changes where routine large gatherings are restricted due to uncertainty. In such situations, highly religious consumers may experience the greatest disruption to life, potentially resulting in stability-seeking consumption behaviors. Three studies test and confirm this relationship in the coronavirus pandemic context. Specifically, study 1 shows that priming awareness of restricted in-person religious gatherings increases consumption in comparison to a general religious prime or control condition. Study 2 confirms that consumers with higher (lower) levels of religiosity are the most (least) likely to increase consumption, and that situational concern and stability found through purchasing sequentially mediate this relationship. Study 3 provides practical implications revealing that stability-based messaging reduces consumption in comparison to standard social distancing messaging.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth A. Minton & Frank G. Cabano, 2021. "Religiosity’s influence on stability-seeking consumption during times of great uncertainty: the case of the coronavirus pandemic," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 135-148, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:32:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s11002-020-09548-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11002-020-09548-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chakravarti, Amitav & Janiszewski, Chris, 2003. "The Influence of Macro-level Motives on Consideration Set Composition in Novel Purchase Situations," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 30(2), pages 244-258, September.
    2. Ron Shachar & Tülin Erdem & Keisha M. Cutright & Gavan J. Fitzsimons, 2011. "Brands: The Opiate of the Nonreligious Masses?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(1), pages 92-110, 01-02.
    3. Samer Sarofim & Frank G. Cabano, 2018. "In God we hope, in ads we believe: the influence of religion on hope, perceived ad credibility, and purchase behavior," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 391-404, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ahmadi, Iman & Habel, Johannes & Jia, Miaolei & Wei, Sarah, 2022. "Consumer stockpiling under the impact of a global disaster: The evolution of affective and cognitive motives," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 56-71.
    2. Veronica L. Thomas & Hooman Mirahmad & Grace Kemper, 2022. "The role of response efficacy and risk aversion in promoting compliance during crisis," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 1454-1474, December.
    3. Elizabeth A. Minton & Cindy X. Wang & Carissa M. Anthony, 2022. "Prosocial responses to global crises: Key influences of religiosity and perceived control," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 491-511, June.

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