Posypanova, O. S., Vorobieva, O. S. Subject-Object and Object-Subject Relations in Consumption

Abstract: One’s attitude to material items (for example, goods) is understudied yet very important aspect of psychology. The authors of the present article describe such relations from the point of view of consumer psychology. Based on the results obtained during a focused group interview and questionnaire survey, the authors view differences in attitudes to goods demonstrated by a consumer-subject and consumer-object. Consume subjectivity is described as an integral characteristic of conscious and unconscious behavior of an individual (individual element), awareness about the physical and marketing features of goods (information element) allowing to buy or use goods or services objectively needed by an individual. Consumer objectivity is described as an integral characteristic of conscious and unconscious behavior of an individual with a low level of awareness, reflection or critical understanding, reactive and automatic actions ensuring one’s sensitivity to the marketing influence such as advertising, fashion, placement of goods in shop windows, sales, and etc. According to the author, the level of consumer subjectivity/objectivity is expressed differently with reference to and in relation to different product categories and defined, in the first place, by the emotional and intellectual importance of a particular product, awareness of special features of this particular product category and one’s experience in using it. The subject-object attitude is presented as one’s attitude to an product when a person has much information about the item and its features, the item is moderately important for the person and the person is ready to use it often. The object-subject relation is presented as one’s attitude to a product when a person believes in the advertising or marketing message while he is not really interested in its attributes or when he is into marketing actions such as sales, games, contests, lotteries and etc. and does not plan to use the product often.

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