Higher Economic Inequality, Lower Preference for Uncertain Consumption: The Role of Just World Belief and Sense of Control
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63522/jabbs.201017Keywords:
Perceived economic inequality; Preference for uncertain consumption; Belief in a just world; Sense of controlAbstract
With the global craze for the blind box, uncertain consumption as an emerging consumption pattern is gradually entering people’s lives. Uncertain consumption preference refers to individuals’ preference for products, services, and promotional methods that contain uncertainty. Existing research indicates that individual characteristics and product features have an impact on this preference. Given the importance of the external economic environment in the consumption process, this paper focuses on the role of individuals’ perception of economic inequality on their uncertain consumption behavior. Through four studies, this paper finds that perceived economic inequality negatively affects individuals’ uncertain consumption preferences. That is, when individuals perceive a high level of economic inequality in their environment, they are less willing to choose uncertain consumption. This is mainly due to the fact that economic inequality undermines their belief in a just world. Additionally, individuals’ sense of control plays a moderating role in the impact of the belief in a just world on uncertain consumption preferences. Specifically, compared to individuals with a lower sense of control, those with a higher sense of control tend to show a higher level of preference for uncertain consumption as their belief in a just world increases. These findings not only enrich the research on the impact of perceived economic inequality in consumption research but also provide a broader perspective for examining the antecedent variables of uncertain consumption preferences.
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