In-Group and Out-Group Influences on the Consumption Behavior of Minority Groups: The Case of Gay Men
In-Group and Out-Group Influences on the Consumption Behavior of Minority Groups: The Case of Gay Men
Introduction
In their article “In-Group and Out-Group Influences on the Consumption Behavior of Minority Groups: The Case of Gay Men,” Hildebrand, D., DeMotta, Y., Sen, S., & Kongsompong, K. (2013) examines how and why gay men respond to group influences while making decisions. The authors assert that very little is known about the consumption behavior of gay men. In the current social media-filled marketplace where views and preferences are essential in driving gay men, it is necessary to understand how social group thinking can influence behavior.
In the article, the authors have established greater responsiveness of gay men relative to their group influence in the market place. In order to achieve a general set of group behavior, the authors have established a gay-straight dichotomy that can provide evidence for the psychological dynamics shaping the collectivist tendency of gay men. The author have gone ahead to claim that members of stigmatized group such as gay men have profound effect on their thoughts, behaviors, and feelings because they feel that their identities are under threat. Through criticism and negative stereotyping of their ideas, values, and existence, gay men engage in a set of copying strategies that will enable them to protect their sense of self and maintain their self esteem.
The incessant copying patterns by gay men develop into cultural traits. These traits will guide a subsequent behavior in a number of domains that they will be conceived in. Gay men value collective goals because it manifests group behavior. The authors assert that collectivism can be vertical or horizontal. Vertical dimension of collectivism is linked with hierarchical social perspective whereby people tend to focus on their differences from key others. Individuals with high vertical collectivism can easily engage in social competition with individuals who do not belong to the same in-group. Horizontal collectivism pertains individual’s tendency towards social equality, benevolence, and cooperation amongst close others. Individuals with high horizontal collectivism will focus on common values and goals.
According to the authors, the feelings, thought, and behavior of people pertaining to their in-and out-groups depends on a combination of horizontal and vertical collectivism. When the identity of gay men is threatened, their behavioral response is directed towards enhancement or restoration of in-group self-esteem and derogation of the out-group members. In essence, gay men believe that the only way that they can boost and protect their self-esteem is to take part in competitive actions and thoughts towards out-group members. The internalization of recurrent self-affirming response to identity threats of gay men forces them to develop collectivist traits.
In order to examine why gay men adopts group behavior, the authors have measured the degree of social influence that the individuals feel from group members when making decisions regarding their behaviors. Through their research, the authors have established that gay men display high levels of vertical and horizontal collectivism when compared with non-gay men. The diversity in cultural traits among the gay men mediates their effect on group members. They are more susceptible to social influence than non-gay men. The identity threats of gay men force them to favor opinions of individuals belonging to their group.
The stronger collectivist of trait in gay men is associated with the high salience of group membership that creates a high differentiation between out-group and in-group. The polarization between gay men and non-gay men is clearly outlined by the concepts of horizontal and vertical dimensions of collectivism. The authors have further argued that the fact that horizontal collectivist traits are centered to the degree in which individuals are similar and can share their identity with in-group members, gay men are expected to be higher on the horizontal collectivism thus more susceptible to social influence from their in-group members.
Additionally, the authors assert that the continual in-group affirmation by gay men as well as out-group derogation rituals increases susceptibility to influence from the in-group. Over the same course, it will lower the susceptibility to influence from the out-group member. Essentially, the tendency of gay people to derogate the out-group members and favor in-group has become a pervasive cultural trait that increases their identity threats.
Conclusion
Reference
Hildebrand, D., DeMotta, Y., Sen, S., & Kongsompong, K. (2013). In-Group and Out-Group Influences on the Consumption Behavior of Minority Groups: The Case of Gay Men. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 3270-78. doi:10.1509/jppm.12.046.
