The Influence of Selfie on Variety Seeking Behavior

Given the proliferation of digital cameras on smartphones, selfies have become ubiquitous in consumers’ daily lives, and many companies have begun engaging in selfie marketing practices. However, research on selfies in the domain of consumer behavior is lacking. My dissertation research investigates how the intention to take a selfie with a product influences consumers’ product choices. Through field and laboratory studies and a content analysis on Instagram data, I show that the intention to take a selfie induces consumers’ self-image concern and, in turn, increases their variety seeking in product choices. Importantly, I suggest that this selfie-taking intention effect holds regardless of whether or not the selfie is shared on social media. Furthermore, the impact of the intention to take a selfie on variety seeking diminishes when people intend to take a group (vs. an individual) selfie. Lastly, I show that individual differences in self-consciousness moderate the selfie-taking intention effect on variety seeking. This research can provide valuable insights into the role of consumer selfies in consumer decision making and its downstream marketing implications.

Many thanks to Haeyoung’s dissertation committee: • Committee Co-Chair: Rajneesh Suri - Professor – Drexel University • Committee Co-Chair: Chen Wang - Assistant Professor – Drexel University • Committee Member: Trina Larsen Andras - Professor- Drexel University • Committee Member: Daniel Korschun - Associate Professor – Drexel University • Committee Member: Yanliu Huang - Associate Professor – Drexel University • Committee Member: Rashmi Adaval - Professor – University of Cincinnati