Effect Of Local Social Identity On Consumers' Sensory-based Preferences

This paper proposed that when consumers' localize social identity is accessible,they will prefer a product that is dominant in sensory attributes when making purchasing decisions,because consumers perceive a closer spatial distance.Previous research has shown that when consumers perceive a closer time distance,they prefer a perceptually dominant product during the purchase process.The research in this paper shows that the closer spatial distance perception will also make consumers prefer the perceptually dominant products in their choice.Moreover,consumer perceptual choice preferences are significant only if the consumer perceives a closer spatial distance and a closer temporal distance.This paper proves that consumers' localized social identity will make consumers show higher preference for perceptually dominant products in product selection process;at the same time verifies the mediating effect of spatial distance perception and adjustment effect of time distance perception.Research 1 by analyzing second-hand data at national levels proves that the higher the degree of localization of a country,the greater the market share of perceptually dominant products in the country.The local-global social identity was manipulated in study 2 which examined the result of study 1 again.The empirical analysis shows that consumers with local social identity will have closer spatial distance perception and prefer a product that is perceptually dominant.Study 3 introduces the time distance dimension and simultaneously manipulates the consumer's social identity perception and time distance perception,which proves that only when they perceive a closer time distance,the impact of local identity on the preferences of perceptually dominant products will be significant.This paper verifies that consumers' local(global)social identity has an impact on consumers' perceptual choice preferences,which further expands the range of outcome variables in the marketing field of localized social identity(global social identity).This study demonstrates the mediating role of psychological distance variables in the influence of localized social identity on consumer perceptual choice preferences through experimental methods,and further analyzes the influence mechanism of consumer local social identity on consumer perceptual choice preferences.It broadens the application scope of psychological distance theory in the field of consumer behavior.When promoting sensible dominant products,the company can use localization strategies to activate consumers' localized social identities,so that consumers prefer products that are perceptually dominant when selecting products.