| Zusammenfassung: | Solomon ( 1983 ) proposed that products, as social stimuli, influence reflected appraisals. Appraisals, in turn, influence self‐definition. Kleine, Kleine, and Kernan ( 1993 , study 2) empirically supported Solomon’s hypothesis. Appraisals were found to completely mediate the relationship between possessions and self‐definition. Appraisals are thus an essential link between possession sets and individuals’ self‐definitions. The current study extends the Kleine et al. ( 1993 ) model in two important ways. First, we combined insights from identity theory, appraisal theory, and the sociology of emotions literatures to offer a more precise and comprehensive conceptualization of the appraisal process that includes both cognitive and emotional components. The conceptualization distinguishes appraisals of possessions from appraisals of performance and reflected versus self‐appraisals. Second, symbolic interactionist theory suggests that social interactions and media are social communication discourses that, like possessions, influence self‐definitions via appraisals. The extended model incorporates these possibilities. Data collected from individuals with an identity based on one of two freely chosen athletic activities provides encouraging support for the extended model. The result pattern provides insights into how appraisals mediate the relationship between social communication discourses and self‐definition.
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| Beschreibung: | * Debra A. Laverie is associate professor of marketing, College of Business Administration, Area of Marketing, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409‐2101 ( dlaverieba.ttu.edu ). Robert E. Kleine III, a freelance scholar, can be reached at 1077 Carol Road, Bowling Green, OH 43402 ( rkleine@gentleye.com ). Susan Schultz Kleine is assistant professor of marketing, Department of Marketing, College of Business Administration, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403 ( skleine@cba.bgsu.edu ). This article is based upon the first author’s dissertation, for which the second author was chairman and the third author was a committee member. The authors extend their gratitude to John Lastovicka, Michael Mokwa, and Christina Gonzalez for their contributions to the dissertation project, to Stacey Baker for her insightful comments, and to the editor, associate editor, and three reviewers for their many helpful suggestions. Robert and Susan Kleine express their gratitude to Jerry Kernan for his inspiration and to Kelsey and Emily for being themselves. An extended version of the article is available from the authors. |
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