ESCP Europe

This book documents the negative psychological impact consumer culture can have on how individuals view themselves and on their emotional welfare. It looks at the social psychological dimensions of having, buying and wanting material goods, as well as the pursuit of media-hyped appearance ideals. In particular, it focuses on : the purchasing of material goods as a means of expressing and seeking identity, and the negative consequences of this ; psychological buying motivations in conventional buying environments and on the Internet ; the unrealistic socio-cultural beauty ideals embodied by idealized models and how this creates body dissatisfaction. Throughout, different approaches from social psychology are integrated, such as self-completion, self-discrepancy and value theory, to create a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the impact of internalising core consumer culture ideals on how individuals see themselves and the implications this has for their psychological and physical health.