AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Brigitte Gaal Cluver for ...

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consumers adopt appearance styles they believe will facilitate the social interaction they desire (Solomon, 1983). Finding an effective appearance style, however, is a complex process. Because there are a large number of appearance modifying symbols available for self expression, it is difficult for individuals within a group to find shared meaning in the symbols. Furthermore, as individuals mix different symbols in a variety of ways while experimenting with appearance styles, the meanings associated with these symbols become increasingly ambiguous. Although such eclecticism can be rich in meaning, deciphering the meaning is challenging for the wearer and the perceiver (Nagasawa et al, 1995). Through interaction, individuals negotiate meanings associated with the appearance styles with which they are experimenting. Individuals adopt those appearance styles that best communicate appropriate meanings and facilitate desired interaction with other individuals with whom they come into contact. However, appearance styles can neither resolve the ambivalences continuously experienced by the individuals nor completely communicate true intended meaning. Therefore, appearance styles undergo modification over time as individuals are continuously experimenting with identities and searching for better combinations of appearance- modifying symbols to express intended meanings. Through a process of negotiation, a consumer incorporates particular clothing articles into his/her appearance that are perceived to best reflect and communicate identity. At the same time, a consumer removes clothing articles from his/her appearance style that do not adequately reflect and communicate identity (Nagasawa et al, 1995). 21
Potential Ambivalences Surrounding Inactive Clothing Items When an individual encounters a clothing item he/she no longer wears because it no longer fits, is too worn, has been replaced with a better performing item, is out of fashion, and/or fails to communicate the identity he/she wishes to project to him/herself and others, uncertainly regarding what to do with the item may follow. Storage and disposal decision making regarding inactive clothing items may generate ambivalent feelings, as an individual may perceive these items as holding economic, utilitarian, or hedonic value. Furthermore, the individual may feel a sense of attachment to the item due to the meanings he/she associates with the item. Consumer Perceptions of Item’s Value Although a clothing item may no longer reside within an individual’s active inventory, the item may be perceived by the individual as holding economic and/or utilitarian value, as well as hedonic value. In fact, Ciarrochi and Forgas (2000) note that consumers have a tendency to overestimate a possession’s value simply because they share a personal history with the item. Perceived economic value influenced the behavior of informants within Bye and McKinney’s (2007) study. The researchers found that informants stored items that no longer fit because of the items’ investment value, the cost associated with the initial purchase of an item. Perceived economic value may not only be influenced by the initial expense incurred when an item is acquired, but also the consumer’s perception of the item’s current or future exchange value. Informants in Bye and McKinney’s (2007) and Banim and Guy’s (2001) studies were also influenced by their perceptions of inactive clothing items’ potential to provide utilitarian value. Informants stored inactive clothing items 22
Page 1 and 2: AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF
Page 3 and 4: ©Copyright by Brigitte Gaal Cluver
Page 5 and 6: Doctor of Philosophy dissertation o
Page 7 and 8: TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Introduct
Page 9 and 10: TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page
Page 11 and 12: LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Reason
Page 13 and 14: decided it was time to discard anyt
Page 15 and 16: analytic categories through data an
Page 17 and 18: A priori 1 A consumer stores both a
Page 19 and 20: elated meaning with someone who is
Page 21 and 22: form and create a “stimulating, r
Page 23 and 24: decision making, taking title, usag
Page 25 and 26: Many researchers have addressed why
Page 27 and 28: items, the items are no longer a pa
Page 29 and 30: Such a process can occur outside of
Page 31: similar to the actual personality t
Page 35 and 36: Consumer Attachment to Clothing Ite
Page 37 and 38: also found that mixed attachments w
Page 39 and 40: those possessions he/she creates or
Page 41 and 42: Need Recognition for Product Dispos
Page 43 and 44: uyer. Or, to maintain the significa
Page 45 and 46: The most recently developed model i
Page 47 and 48: Herrmann (1997) focused specificall
Page 49 and 50: in the new roles associated with th
Page 51 and 52: The Storage of Clothing Items The p
Page 53 and 54: Clothes That Do Not Fit In Bye and
Page 55 and 56: longer in his/her possession. Lastl
Page 57 and 58: (Gould, 2006, pp. 194). I engaged i
Page 59 and 60: Introspective Data Collection On a
Page 61 and 62: inventories, permanent inactive inv
Page 63 and 64: esponse included more than one cate
Page 65 and 66: temporary inactive inventory, I fou
Page 67 and 68: (65.7% of the 35 items), was saving
Page 69 and 70: Reasons for having inactive clothin
Page 71 and 72: with hopes of future weight loss (3
Page 73 and 74: new use for any items I choose to d
Page 75 and 76: Interview Guide Development A moder
Page 77 and 78: social life.”; “Tell me about y
Page 79 and 80: Data collection Data collection occ
Page 81 and 82: technique to categorize data collec
Page 83 and 84:
the present study, two key informan
Page 85 and 86:
2 displays the proposed Consumer Cl
Page 87 and 88:
item on in the future, it is percei
Page 89 and 90:
they now realize they need to dispo
Page 91 and 92:
Movement to disposal. Outward movem
Page 93 and 94:
The hoop skirt is like part of my c
Page 95 and 96:
Um, when I was in high school, I wa
Page 97 and 98:
indicated that they tended to retai
Page 99 and 100:
generation or two down the line the
Page 101 and 102:
informants were waiting for future
Page 103 and 104:
It was given to me, but I didn’t
Page 105 and 106:
Informants also kept items that the
Page 107 and 108:
clothing items of a different natur
Page 109 and 110:
keeping inactive items invisible, o
Page 111 and 112:
his/her home, car, etc. At this poi
Page 113 and 114:
Factors Which Prompt Disposal Versu
Page 115 and 116:
Directions from Spouse Another them
Page 117 and 118:
good for walking they become yard a
Page 119 and 120:
Categories Within Clothing Inventor
Page 121 and 122:
“in waiting” because the items
Page 123 and 124:
he rarely ventures because he found
Page 125 and 126:
they were no longer going to wear a
Page 127 and 128:
Method section of the present repor
Page 129 and 130:
Approach Consistent Data Collection
Page 131 and 132:
120 In addition to cultural backgro
Page 133 and 134:
understanding of consumer storage a
Page 135 and 136:
REFERENCES Back, K.W. (1985). Moder
Page 137 and 138:
DeBell, M., & Dardis, R. (1978). Ex
Page 139 and 140:
Khan, U., Dhar, R., & Wertenbroch,
Page 141 and 142:
Solomon, M.R. (1983). The role of p
Page 143 and 144:
APPENDIX 1 INTERVIEW GUIDE 132
Page 145 and 146:
Section 3 Auto-driving props: Show
Page 147 and 148:
[DATE] Dear [INFORMANT’S NAME]: [
Page 149 and 150:
[UNIVERSITY/DEPARTMENT LETTERHEAD]
Page 151 and 152:
APPENDIX 4 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHE
Page 153 and 154:
Donna (pseudonym) Donna, a 48 year
Page 155 and 156:
Carey (pseudonym) Carey, a 42 year
Page 157 and 158:
sees her. Her daughter has a one ye
Page 159 and 160:
In 2007, Denise served as a key inf
Page 161 and 162:
Jerry (pseudonym) Jerry, a 39 year
Page 163 and 164:
study or dinners. Currently, he and
Page 165 and 166:
Connection to Event CATEGORIZED DAT
Page 167 and 168:
maybe she would like to wear a hoop
Page 169 and 170:
gotten away from it for whatever re
Page 171 and 172:
good, but it was really wild at tim
Page 173 and 174:
Sharing History, Connections, and E
Page 175 and 176:
Terri : I keep thinking it is brand
Page 177 and 178:
166 Lisa: This I wore, I bought to
Page 179 and 180:
e a part of who I am. I am still te
Page 181 and 182:
Waiting to be Certain that it is No
Page 183 and 184:
Jerry: Oh, I think because Mike mig
Page 185 and 186:
Katie: And this, I loved and I wore
Page 187 and 188:
Garment Specific Observation Ruth:
Page 189 and 190:
Raymond’s wife: Mostly, we put it
Page 191 and 192:
Amy: Anything that’s jeans or t-s
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