THE FOUNDATIONS OF OBJECT HISTORY VALUE

Time: November 7, 2019 (Thursday), 12:30-14:00

Location: Zhifuxuan Conference Room, National School of Development, Peking U.

Speaker: Dr. Charis (Xiang) Li, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Xiamen University.

Abstract:

Objects gain value through their associations with meaningful histories. We propose a three-factor model to account for where an object’s history value comes from, how it is evaluated, and under which conditions it influences consumers’ valuation and decisions regarding the object. Through five studies, across many common consumer goods, we systematically test our proposed theory and show the interplay of history meaningfulness, association strength, and cue salience that lays the foundations for object history value. Implications in possession attachment, disposal, and consumer wellbeing are advanced.

Bio

Dr. Charis (Xiang) Li is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Xiamen University. Dr. Li obtained her PhD in business administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business in 2019. She had previously received a Master of Science in consumer science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Management from Wuhan University. Dr. Li’s research interest lies in the social and emotional aspects of consumer behavior. Her current research seeks a deep understanding of consumers’ cognitive and emotional responses to the history and other meanings of material objects, including how consumers evaluate “object history value” and how such value influences consumers’ retention, disposal, and recirculation behaviors. In another track of her research, Dr. Li utilizes both lab and field experiments to understand how incentives influence people’s helping behavior.