Journal of Consumer Affairs最新文献

Stigma in marketing is an umbrella topic for many marketing-related phenomena. We conduct a systematic review of a specific stigma, consumption stigma, which we define as individuals devalued or assigned a negative social identity due to using or not using certain products or services. Using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol to review 50 articles, we map consumption stigma's antecedents, decisions, and outcomes to structure existing research. We find that consumers navigate stigma along a continuum, from stigma avoidance to active destigmatization efforts, including helping others. By combining the temporal stages of stigma (from its origins to its waning) with a micro, meso, and macro systems perspective, we identify 12 research questions. We conclude that researchers have many opportunities to explore how stigma is created, navigated, and mitigated by individual firms, and in the meso and macro environments.

Drawing on the family financial socialization model, this study examines parental financial sacrifice—parents prioritize their children's future over their own financial needs—and its associations with youths' financial behaviors. We investigated three types of financial behaviors: (1) short-term management (e.g., saving and spending), (2) long-term management (e.g., investing), and (3) financial enabling (e.g., over-giving or oversharing). Additionally, we explored the mediating role of money scripts—emotionally charged beliefs about money—and their organization into distinct profiles. Based on cross-sectional data from 1000 Hong Kong youths in low-SES households, we found that higher-level parental financial sacrifice was associated with healthier short- and long-term money management but lower-level financial enabling. These associations were mediated by money script profiles—the diverse combinations of money-related beliefs. These results underscore the distinctive financial socialization experiences of youths in low-SES households while highlighting the value of understanding money script profiles to mitigate their challenges.

The financial literacy of the elderly is important in an aging society. However, even though online shopping has been integrated into the daily lives of many elderly people, the relationship between online shopping and financial literacy among the elderly remains underresearched. In this study, we examine the relationship between online shopping and financial literacy among the elderly with data from the China Household Finance Survey. We find that online shopping is positively associated with financial literacy among the elderly. The relationship is mediated through obtaining financial information online and engaging in online financial practices. The correlation is stronger for those with better health status, higher education level, higher openness to experience, greater extraversion, and greater economic capacity, while gender differences are not pronounced. Moreover, it is more pronounced among the elderly in urban areas than in rural areas.

Using survey data from the Federal Reserve on buy now, pay later (BNPL) experiences merged with individual credit records, we examine BNPL use by race/ethnicity and gender and explore how it relates to people's financial circumstances. Overall, most BNPL users said they used BNPL for convenience or to spread out payments; yet, 57% used BNPL out of necessity. Liquidity-and credit-constrained consumers were among the most likely to use BNPL, and most did so out of necessity. For example, 84% of BNPL users with a credit score under 620 said they used BNPL because it was the only way they could afford their purchase. These findings highlight that while many BNPL users on firm financial footing find it to be a convenient way to make their purchase and spread out their payments, other consumers, and particularly those more financially vulnerable, may be at risk of overextending themselves.

Lack of economic mobility is an intractable problem in which people are trapped in a vicious intergenerational cycle of struggle that disproportionately affects people from historically marginalized communities (HMCs) such as Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino households. Perceived financial well-being (FWB) has been linked with proactive behaviors and financial decision-making that can help people build a bridge to higher levels of mobility, financial satisfaction, and life satisfaction. However, finding factors that positively affect FWB has proven elusive for people from HMCs. Our contributions to addressing this gap are: (1) examining the role of perceived economic mobility (PEM), a new factor in the FWB literature; (2) incorporating the psychosocial variable trait hope, the first time a positive psychological resource variable is introduced into this domain; (3) understanding the importance of financial capability (FC); and (4) obtaining a large sample of primary data from households in poor neighborhoods headed by racial or ethnic minorities. Based on structural equation modeling, PEM has a positive influence on FWB, which is mediated by FC. Moreover, trait hope moderates the relationship between PEM and FC. Importantly, PEM and trait hope can be shaped by public-policy interventions, suggesting avenues for enhancing perceived FWB among people in HMCs.

This study delves into the role of national risk aversion culture and other institutional factors, such as financial efficiency, stock market volatility, technology development, age dependency, labor education, life expectancy, and mortality rate, in shaping pension contributions and paid benefits, with evidence drawn from OECD countries. Reputable data sources, such as OECD Statistics, the Global Preference Survey, Global Financial Data, and World Development Indicators, were utilized in the study. The authors adopted a two-way fixed effects regression model and other alternative estimators (FGLS and GMM) to address heteroscedasticity, serial correlation, and potential endogeneity. The sensitivity and robustness checks confirmed the significant impact (more than 60%) of national risk aversion and other institutional factors on pension contributions and benefits paid. This study aims to bridge the gap between theoretical perspectives and practical implications for policymakers and individuals in developing suitable risk-based pension programs and improving the management practices of pension systems.

This study examines the impact of state-mandated economics and personal finance education policies on individuals' financial knowledge, measured through subjective financial knowledge (SFK) and objective financial knowledge (OFK). Using data from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) and state-level policy records, we apply regression analysis and matching techniques to evaluate the effects of these mandates. The findings reveal that economic education standards significantly enhance OFK, particularly when implemented as district requirements, while personal finance education shows smaller yet positive effects. The results show that younger individuals, who are directly exposed to personal finance courses, benefit more with improvements in SFK and OFK. Despite limitations related to data periodicity and potential biases, the results support increasing high school financial education requirements to help people make better financial decisions.