The Divergent Effects of Mortality Salience of Self (MSS) versus Mortality Salience of a Loved One (MSLO) on Materialistic Consumption

In the present research, we argue that there are two distinct types of mortality salience, namely mortality salience of self (MSS) which is awareness of one’s own death and mortality salience of a loved one (MSLO) which is awareness of the death of a loved one. Studies based on Terror Management Theoryhave assumed that MSLO individuals’ response might follow predictably from the perspective of TMT. However, bereavement studies implied that MSLO individuals may have distinctresponse in comparison to MSS individuals. In four studies, we tested the convergent versus divergent assumptions and found that MSS and MSLO have divergent effects on materialistic consumption. Specifically, the robustness of the divergence has been tested on product preference for high-status brands, the choice between a materialistic product and an experience, the level of desire for money and the choice between two magazines that highlights different levels of materialistic values. We later proposed that future studies should try to explore the two mechanisms, namely negative emotions and goal orientation that might explain the divergence on materialistic consumption.