“外察”与“内省”:环境威胁引发的绿色消费意愿研究——基于道德情绪的双路径模型

Research on Gift-giving Behaviors of Adult Children towards their Parents in the Context of Social Transformation in China:Impact of“Vertical Relationship”and“Spatial Distance”on Gifting Behaviors

营销学者在探究绿色消费议题方面做了众多开创性工作,然而针对诱因不同的环境威胁是否及通过怎样的心理路径影响消费者绿色消费意愿的研究仍然匮乏。本文将环境威胁分为自然因素引发的环境威胁和人为因素引发的环境威胁两类,通过4组实验检验了两类环境威胁影响消费者绿色消费意愿的心理机制。研究结果证实了无论哪类环境威胁,都会对绿色产品购买行为产生积极影响,但不同类型的环境威胁会通过差异化认知过程和情绪反应影响绿色产品购买行为。当消费者面对自然因素引发的环境威胁时,其“外察”思维模式会起主导作用,此时敬畏感是促进绿色产品购买意愿的中介变量;当消费者面对人为因素引发的环境威胁时,其“内省”思维模式会起主导作用,此时内疚感是促进绿色产品购买意愿的中介变量。研究也证实了环境威胁对道德情绪的影响会受自然联结性和道德提升感的调节。

“Intergenerational gifting”refers to the exchange of gifts between different generations within the same family.In this pa-per,it specifically refers to the act of adult children giving gifts to their parents.In the era of societal transformation and population mobility,a substantial number of young adults have migrated from rural areas or small to medium towns to large cities,resulting in a significant prevalence of adult children living apart from their aging parents.Balancing the pursuit of“personal career”with“the filial duties towards parents”has become an urgent challenge for many younger generations.Building upon the widespread social phenomenon of children giving gifts to their parents as the research context,this paper aims to explore the differences between in-tergenerational gifting within the context of“vertical relationships”and gift-giving in“horizontal relationships”,such as gift-giving between friends or spouses.Additionally,this research investigates the impact of the geographical separation between adult children and their parents on intergenerational gifting behaviors.Based on in-depth interviews with 106 adult children and a grounded theory analysis of the interview texts,the current research seeks to comprehend the motivations and process underlying the gift-giving behaviors of adult children to their parents.The main findings are as follows:Firstly,unlike gift-giving among individuals in equal or“horizontal relationships”,gift-giving from adult children to their parents represents a unidirectional expression of“gratitude”and“reciprocity”guided by filial piety norms,serv-ing a dual function of“expressing filial intentions”and“alleviating the anxiety and guilt experienced by adult children”.Hence,it differs in multiple aspects from gift-giving practices observed in“horizontal relationships”.For example,some adult children may project their sentiments of“care”and“concern”for their parents onto the choice of gifts,interpreting their own concerns regarding their parents’health and quality of life as essential needs of their parents.Consequently,this leads to the phenomenon of imposing their subjective intentions onto their parents.Moreover,due to the intimacy and familiarity between adult children and their parents,many offspring,when choosing gifts,tend to prioritize the functionality and practicality of the gifts.This is in contrast to gift-giving in horizontal relationships,where“desirability”of the gift is often a primary consideration,while the aspects of feasibility in gifts is relatively neglected.Secondly,as recipients of the gifts,parents often exhibit a phenomenon known as“saying one thing but meaning another”,wherein they may,on one hand,outwardly claim not to want gifts or express discomfort with the gifts being too expensive,while on the other hand,they might“show off”the gifts from their children on social media or in various social contexts,presenting a stark contrast to the dynamics of gift-giving in“horizontal relationships”.Thirdly,the increase in“spatial distance”resulting from“living apart from their parents”makes it challenging for adult children to fulfill the traditional filial duties according to established norms.This,in turn,gives rise to a series of unique gift-giving behaviors.For instance,compared to offspring residing in the same city,adult children living apart in different cities exhibit a relatively more“formal”approach when presenting gifts to parents.They also place greater emphasis on the social prestige or“face value”associated with the gifts.Moreover,their presentations of gift tends to be concentrated on significant traditional or family celebrations.Additionally,adult children living apart exhibit an heightened ex-pectation for positive feedback from their parents regarding the gifts they present.The theoretical contributions of this research manifest in the following aspects:Firstly,we construct the“Intergenerational Gift-Giv-ing Processual Model”,enriching and extending upon Sherry’s existing Gift-Giving Processual Model.Secondly,against the back-drop of China’s societal transformation and population mobility,this paper explores how geographically separated adult children,residing apart from their parents,employ the practice of purchasing gifts for their parents as a means to alleviate the anxieties and guilt associated with fulfilling the filial duties.By situating the gift-giving behavior within the context of the“vertical relationship”between adult children and parents,especially within the unique scenario of interaction under the condition of“spatial constraints”between generations,this research deepens and expands existing understandings of the functions of gifts and the motivations behind gift-giving.Finally,by comparing the gift-giving behaviors of adult children residing in the same locations with their parents to those living apart from their parents,this paper abstracts the impact of“spatial distance”on intergenerational gift consumption behaviors,providing a novel perspective for a more in-depth insight into the psychological and behavioral dimensions inherent in intergenerational gift-giving.The conclusions drawn from this research contribute to a more profound understanding of the consumer behaviors related to“intergenerational gifting”within the context of contemporary China’s transformative society,along with the societal psychology that underlies these behaviors.Furthermore,the conclusions of this paper provide managerial implications for enterprises intending to enter the gift market,facilitating a better understanding of the psychology and behaviors of intergenerational gift-givers.This understanding,in turn,provides them valuable guidance for adopting more effective market segmentation and positioning strategies.