Self-Concept Motivation as Mediator Between Self-Image Congruence and Attitude/Intention

Four self-image congruence models are popular in the consumer behavior literature. These are: actual self-congruity (the match between the product user image and consumer’s actual self-image), ideal self-congruity (involving the consumer's ideal self-image), social self-congruity (involving the consumer's social self-image), and ideal social self-congruity (involving the consumer's ideal social self-image). The underlying self-concept motivational states that have been used to explain how the self-congruity models affect consumer behavior (brand preference, choice, usage, loyalty, etc.) are self-consistency, self-esteem, social consistency, and social approval motivation, in that order. A study was conducted involving eight products and 428 subjects designed to develop measures for the four self-concept motivational states and test the mediation hypothesis. Internal consistency reliability tests indicated adequate reliability. The data provided support for the mediation hypothesis, lending initial support for the validity of the measures.