2025-08-20 アリゾナ大学
From vinyl albums to items in video games, humans love to collect. But what we really crave is order during chaotic times, says Eller College of Management’s Martin Reimann.
<関連情報>
- https://news.arizona.edu/news/why-do-we-collect-u-study-shows-its-about-seeking-structure
- https://academic.oup.com/jcr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jcr/ucae071/7924162
コレクションにおける構造の探求:コントロールへの欲望が収集への関与を動機付ける Seeking Structure in Collections: Desire for Control Motivates Engagement in Collecting
C Clark Cao , Merrie Brucks , Martin Reimann
Journal of Consumer Research Published:14 December 2024
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae071
Abstract
Across six studies, we provide converging and robust lab and field evidence that the fundamental human desire for control motivates consumer engagement in collecting, defined as the act of acquiring items that belong to an existing collection. This is because consumers who desire control seek structure, which is created when interconnected components form a holistic entity. A collection can provide such a structure, as it comprises related items that together create a whole set. Hence, as consumers add items to a collection, they are also manifesting a structure. Indeed, we demonstrate that desire for control’s motivating effect on engagement diminishes when structure-seeking is hindered or when the collection is far from completion. This work contributes to extant consumer research by identifying desire for control as a fundamental motivation of collecting behavior, explaining when and why consumers work toward completing their collections, and explicating the structured nature of collecting. Of practical relevance, we provide implications for the enhancement of consumer well-being; the design, positioning, and communication of collectible products; and the creation of policies regulating the collectibles market.
