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Conditioned Superstition: Desire for Control and Consumer Brand Preferences

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  • Eric J. Hamerman
  • Gita V. Johar

Abstract

There are many opportunities in everyday life to associate consumer products with success or failure. For example, when a basketball fan drinks a particular brand of soda while watching her favorite team win a game, she may perceive that this consumption facilitated the victory. Subsequently, the fan may continue to purchase and consume this same item during future games, in an attempt to help the team. This behavior is known as "conditioned superstition." Data from five experiments indicate that preference for lucky products (i.e., those associated with positive outcomes) increases with higher levels of desire for control combined with lower levels of perceived ability to control outcomes (e.g., low generalized self-efficacy). People who express a preference for these lucky products form an illusion of control over future outcomes, so that they perceive superstitious behavior to be an effective strategy to achieve the desired result.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric J. Hamerman & Gita V. Johar, 2013. "Conditioned Superstition: Desire for Control and Consumer Brand Preferences," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 40(3), pages 428-443.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:doi:10.1086/670762
    DOI: 10.1086/670762
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    Cited by:

    1. Xu, Xing'an & Liu, Juan, 2024. "Promotional games in service recovery: Luck works," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    2. de Bellis, Emanuel & Venkataramani Johar, Gita, 2020. "Autonomous Shopping Systems: Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Consumer Adoption," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 74-87.
    3. Xiaohua Zhao & Yuhuang Zheng & Fang Wan, 2020. "Unrelated efforts trigger wishful winning? The impact of extraneous efforts on judgments of winning probability among Chinese consumers," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(5), pages 560-581, November.
    4. Xiaohua Zhao & Yuhuang Zheng & Fang Wan, 0. "Unrelated efforts trigger wishful winning? The impact of extraneous efforts on judgments of winning probability among Chinese consumers," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-22.
    5. Linwan Wu & Jiangmeng Liu, 2021. "Need for control may motivate consumers to approach digital products: a social media advertising study," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1031-1054, December.
    6. Karpinska-Krakowiak, Malgorzata & Eisend, Martin, 2021. "The Effects of Animistic Thinking, Animistic Cues, and Superstitions on Brand Responses on Social Media," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 104-117.
    7. Fanhui Meng & Haoming Sun & Jiarong Xie & Chengjun Wang & Jiajing Wu & Yanqing Hu, 2021. "Preference for Number of Friends in Online Social Networks," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, September.
    8. Patrick Acheampong & Li Zhiwen & Ruhiya Abubakar & Henry Asante Antwi & Michael Owusu Akomeah, 2016. "Stimulants of Online Shopping Behaviour among Chinese Millenials in China," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 6(5), pages 331-349, May.
    9. Dwyer, Brendan & Slavich, Mark A. & Gellock, Jennifer L., 2018. "A fan’s search for meaning: Testing the dimensionality of sport fan superstition," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 533-548.
    10. Kirk, Colleen P. & Peck, Joann & Hart, Claire M. & Sedikides, Constantine, 2022. "Just my luck: Narcissistic admiration and rivalry differentially predict word of mouth about promotional games," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 374-388.
    11. Katina Kulow & Thomas Kramer, 2016. "In Pursuit of Good Karma: When Charitable Appeals to Do Right Go Wrong," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 43(2), pages 334-353.
    12. Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong & Desmond Lam & Davis Ka Chio Fong, 2018. "Controllable superstition and its relationship with enduring and behavioural involvement in gambling," International Gambling Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 92-110, January.

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