Prevalent usage of mobile devices among consumers has been well recognized and this is especially imperative among young adult consumers. The mobile phone became the gateway of their communication, media consumption, retail transaction, education, and (virtual) social life. However, there is little empirical research explaining the dynamics behind the psychological underpinning of young adult consumers, specifically Generation Y, to understand their usages and dependency on mobile phones. This study, therefore, aims to unveil antecedents and consequences of Gen Y consumers’ mobile phone dependency from a media psychological perspective. We developed a conceptual model based on theory of self-monitoring (Snyder 1974, 1987), extended self-concept (Belk, 1988), and media dependency theory (Ball-Rokeach & Defluer, 1976). Four hundred ninety-eight students in the U.S. provided usable responses to our pencil-and-paper survey. Causal modeling analysis results demonstrated that both ability to modify one’s behavior and sensitivity to cues for social appropriate behavior dimensions of the self-monitoring tendency positively predicted one’s level of fashion involvement, which in turn positively predicted his/her mobile phone dependency. Individual’s mobile phone dependency, fashion involvement and self-monitoring’s ability dimension exhibited positive and direct impact on one’s perception of the salience of mobile phone case product attributes. Based on the findings, we provided pragmatic and theoretical implications for the industry and academia.

The research on country of origin effect (COO) has been oriented lately towards the characteristics of the consumer. As a result, in recent years there has been a growing number of publications dealing with consumer dispositions in the consumption of local or global brands (ethnocentrism, nationalism, patriotism, cosmopolitanism, xenocentrism). To contribute to the research, we conceptualize the Self-Country Connection (SCC) construct, based on the extended self theory, considering the country as one more possession that can be added to the individual’s self. We developed the scale generating items based on literature review and qualitative research. Specialists in marketing and international consumer behavior refined the items. Followed the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, analysis of discriminant, nomological and predictive validities, which obtained satisfactory results, in addition to the two-month interval testretest. The scale has two versions and can be used both to access the consumer's selfconnection with the home country and with foreign countries. The SCC scale can be used with other established scales, such as CETSCALE, COS, among others, to understand better the consumer behavior and improving market segmentation.

This article explores alternate ways to conceptualize self-nature relationship, that is, how nature in general, rather than specific nature places, become part of the extended self and how this influences responsible consumption. An ethnography, using participant observation, iterative in-depth interviews and photographs, was used to understand self-nature relationship and consumption behavior. The study was conducted in Malaysia using the English language as the medium of communication. The results suggest three levels of extended-self, reflecting the individual’s depth of relationship with nature; relational extended-self, encapsulated-self and assimilated-self. Nature as extended self, then, influences meanings attached to nature which results in different levels of attachment with nature; these are, functional, emotional, religious and spiritual attachment. When nature is perceived as separate from self, consumption behaviour is motivated by self-interest or self-preservation. As nature experiences are internalised, individuals begin to form emotional connections which initiates the process of self-extension whereby nature is progressively seen as part of the self. At the higher level, stronger affiliation with nature may result in religious or spiritual attachment, which motivates further assimilation of the self with nature and a sense of oneness with the broader universe promoting communal relationship and mutual gain. Our study contributes theoretically with the discovery of three dimensions of extended self and how extended self influences responsible consumption. Practically, these insights are valuable for public policy, social marketing and sustainability programs, for example, it highlights a possible solution to our unsustainable consumption behaviour which is, programs or activities which encourage our citizens to spend time with nature.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of congruency of parent brand image with self-image, perceived risk, and product knowledge on the attitude towards extended product in fashion brand extension. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 170 female college students and collected data were subjected to descriptive analysis and regression analysis using SPSS Window program. The results of this study showed that the congruency of parent brand image with self-image and perceived risk had a positive effect on attitude towards extended product, whereas product knowledge had a negative effect on attitude towards extended product in fashion brand extension. Also, the congruency of parent brand image with self-image had a positive effect on the attitude towards extended product in fashion brand extension with positive moderating effect of perceived risk and negative mediating effect of product knowledge.

This paper employed the conceptions of “extended self” (Belk, 1988) and expressivism (Taylor, 1989) to demonstrate how local fashion designers in post-colonial Hong Kong express their life experience and cultural identity through their designs. Through conducting long interviews (McCracken, 1988) with five local designers in Hong Kong our findings show that design collections have become an “extended self” for these individuals. The material representation that created by the individual become an inseparable self for the owner. The commercialization of these “extended selves” extends our current conception of self identity in marketing literature.