4 Topic Commentaries

Ovulation may shift preferences toward conspicuous luxury

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  Martie Haselton, PhD

  Evolutionary psychology; human mating and hormonal influences on behavior

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  University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

  Women sometimes get a bad rap for being fickle, but the changes they experience are not arbitrary. Women experience intricately patterned preference shifts even though they might not serve any function in the present.

  Source
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  Yajin Wang, PhD

  Consumer behavior; luxury and conspicuous consumption

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  University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business

  Whereas men use conspicuous luxury products to attract mates, women use such products to deter female rivals.

  Source
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  Deborah Roedder John, PhD

  Consumer behavior; marketing

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  University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

  Introducing luxury products into our lives has consequences. Our studies show that the experience of using a luxury product makes women perceive themselves as having higher social status, and these perceptions affect behavior toward other people.

  Source
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  Vladas Griskevicius, PhD

  Consumer behavior; evolutionary psychology and status signaling

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  University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

  Luxury users exhibited more generous behavior, but only when being more generous presents an opportunity to enhance one's reputation in front of other people. All in all, regardless of whether luxury users are more selfish or more generous, their behavior is ultimately driven by self-interest rather than concern for others.

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