ABSTRACT Past research on product upgrades has focused either on understanding who and when will upgrade or on figuring out why consumers will upgrade, but seldom on all. It has also neglected the interplay between these matters with decision context and timing. This manuscript depicts a comprehensive approach where, for the first time, product characteristics, individual differences, process, and contextual variables are analyzed on a predictive model of real product upgrades, identified through the systematic collection of primary data from a panel of smartphone consumers. We tested one traditional linear logistic regression model and two types of non-linear, state-of-the-art machine-learning models (extreme gradient boosting and deep learning) to explain upgrading behavior. Results provide an integrative, yet parsimonious, product-upgrade model showing the importance of resources; news about the smartphone brand; sentimental value; predicted, current, and remembered enjoyment; update capacity; and how much the smartphone meets the user’s current needs as the most relevant variables to determine which consumers are more prone to upgrade their smartphones. Our findings advance upgrade decision theory by taking a holistic approach to the phenomenon and bridging different theoretical accounts of the replacement decision literature.

Resumo Este artigo analisa se a interação com amigos, em situações de compra e consumo, é capaz de influenciar o nível de prazer que prevemos que vamos sentir e o prazer que efetivamente sentimos com um produto após a compra. Ou seja, estuda-se o efeito da sociabilização do consumidor no processo de previsão da adaptação e na adaptação hedônica real subsequente. Foram realizados três experimentos (um deles dividido em duas partes) independentes e complementares em ambiente online (Mechanical Turk) e em laboratório. Os resultados confirmaram a hipótese de que a previsão da adaptação é menor nas situações de consumo que envolvem a interação social, quando comparadas àquelas sem interação social. A sociabilização do consumidor exerceu influência, também, sobre a adaptação hedônica real, confirmando a hipótese de que a adaptação é menor nas situações de consumo envolvendo sociabilização. Em conjunto, evidenciou-se que, quando há interação social, os consumidores preveem e vivenciam mais prazer do que quando não há interação social. Esta pesquisa estende a teoria na área de comportamento do consumidor, especialmente sobre a adaptação hedônica, além de trazer implicações para empresas e consumidores, apontando uma forma prática de redução da adaptação hedônica em situações de consumo: a interação social.

Abstract This article analyzes if social interaction during shopping and consumption situations influences the level of pleasure a person both anticipates during and actually feels after shopping. Specifically, the paper analyzes the effect of consumer socialization on the hedonic adaptation process and in the actual subsequent hedonic adaptation. Three independent and complementary experiments (one divided in two parts) were carried out in an online environment (Mechanical Turk) and in a laboratory. The results confirmed the hypotheses that the hedonic adaptation forecast is weaker in consumption situations when there is social interaction, when compared to those without social interaction. Consumer socialization also effects actual hedonic adaptation, confirming the hypothesis that adaptation is weaker when there is social interaction. Overall, this research shows that, consumers forecast and actually feel stronger pleasure when there is social interaction, as compared to when there is no social contact in consumption situations. This research extends consumer behavior theory associated with hedonic adaptation, bringing new insights to companies and consumers by showing a practical way of reducing hedonic adaptation in consumption situations: social interaction.

Through this article we examine ways through which consumers can take advantage of marketers' priming attempts and make better decisions. Specifically, we investigate what happens when individuals are made aware of primes that may potentially improve their performance. Using an Embedded Figures Test, we demonstrate that individuals can be consciously primed into an analytic thinking mindset and perform better when they believe that the prime will enhance performance. Individuals are able to successfully ignore the prime when they believe that the prime hinders performance. Utilizing both holistic and analytic primes and by alternating the valence of the prime's potential outcome, we are able to disentangle the conscious effects of primes from demand effects. We discuss how these findings may lead to and suggest avenues for future research.

Este trabalho analisa, a partir do enfoque oferecido pela Teoria de Consumo de Status (TCS), como são formados os hábitos de consumo de crianças de classes altas e baixas brasileiras, critica o Global Trickle-down Model (GTDM), e analisa a precisão das recentes mudanças teóricas sugeridas por Üstüner e Holt (2010), quanto às inadequações da TCS aos países em desenvolvimento. Para isso, realizamos uma pesquisa teórico-empírica, por meio de 36 entrevistas em profundidade, com crianças entre 9 e 12 anos incompletos, pertencentes às camadas baixas e altas da população. Após análise de conteúdo, apresentamos e discutimos os resultados através de categorias analíticas que os sintetizam: Agentes de Influência; Relação com o Universo de Possibilidades e Impossibilidades de cada Classe; e Diferenciação Social. Para concluir, comparamos os conceitos apresentados pela TCS com os resultados encontrados no contexto de classes altas e baixas brasileiras, além de avaliarmos a adequação do GTDM a esse contexto. As principais conclusões da pesquisa são que os pares exercem mais influência na formação dos hábitos de consumo das crianças de classes mais altas; a mídia tem impacto diferente de acordo com a posição socioeconômica da criança; e, ao contrário do que preconizava a teoria sobre o tema, não há um aprisionamento dos desejos de consumo das crianças das classes baixas às suas condições de existência.

Grounded on Status Consumption Theory (SCT) approach, this article analyzes how the consumption habits of children of high and low Brazilian social classes are constituted, it also criticizes the Global Trickle-down Model (GTDM) and analyzes the precision of the recent theoretical modifications suggested by Üstüner and Holt (2010) concerning the inadequacy of SCT to the developing countries. We carried on a theoretical-empirical research based on 36 in-depth interviews with children between 9 and 12 years old, of high or low classes. Based on a content analysis, we present and discuss the results through the following analytical categories: influence agents, relation with the universe of possibilities and impossibilities of each class, and social distinction. To conclude, we compare the TCS concepts with the results found in the context of high and low Brazilian classes and evaluate the adequacy of GTDM to this context. The research's main finding are that peers have greater influence on the habits of children of higher classes; the media has a different impact depending of the child socioeconomic position; and, against previous theory, consumer desires of lower class children are not prisoned by their existence conditions.