Note, Identity Subject to Change: Identity Management in Social Environments

This thesis examined whether the saturation of the social identity environment could impact consumer decision-making and preferences. One experimental study revealed that consumer preference for identity-salient products is moderated by the strength of the identity of the consumer and saturation of the social identity environment. Results showed that when participants held a strong native membership, they were more likely to engage with identity relevant products when in an unsaturated (vs. saturated) social identity environment. Conversely, participants who held a low native membership were more likely to engage with identity relevant products when they are in a saturated social identity environment vs. an unsaturated social identity environment.