Consumers' choices : life history theory and conspicuous consumption.

Abstract

Life history theory is an evolutionary theory that attempts to explain a person's risk-taking behaviors and mating strategies unconsciously (Griskevicius, Tybur, Delton, & Robertson, 2011). There are two different types of strategies, a fast Life History strategy, which is characterized by risk-taking behaviors, (e.g. gambling, early reproduction, multiple sexual partners, unwise resource spending, etc.) and a slow Life History strategy, which is characterized by waiting until a later age to reproduce, saving resources for future use, and more selective mating. Conspicuous consumption is an evolutionary concept that examines purchases that enhance the social status of a person to aid in mating (Amaldoss & Jain, 2005; Heffetz, 2007; Griskevicius, Cialadini, & Kenrick, 2006). Combining these two theories, participants were asked to bid on items that were either rated highly conspicuous or as low-conspicuous items after being primed with a mortality, safety and neutral article.