ARC: Connections: ELMAR: Posting

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[Link to the Amazon Entry for the book]

Gad Saad
The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption

Table of Contents

Series Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction xvii

1 What Is Evolutionary Psychology? 1

Historical Overview Leading Up to the Founding of Evolutionary Psychology 2
What is Evolutionary Psychology? 5
Proximate Versus Ultimate Explanations 8
Domain-Specific Versus General-Purpose Modules 13
Chapter Summary 16

2 Consumer Research: Domain-General and Proximate-Level Theorizing 18

Proximate Models Utilizing Domain-Independent General-Purpose Mechanisms 19
Learning 20
Motivation 23
Culture 24
Standardization Versus Adaptation 28
Decision Making 31
Perception 37
Attitude Formation and Attitude Change 43
Emotions 45
Personality 49
Applications of Evolutionary Psychology in Other Disciplines 53
Chapter Summary 58

3 Consumption and Darwinian Modules 59

The Reproductive Module 59
Human Mating as a Consumption Choice 62
Information Search in Mate Selection 64
Gift Giving as a Courtship Ritual 67
Sex Differences in Aggregate Consumption Patterns 69
Toy Preferences 70
Appearance-Enhancing Products and Services 71
Cosmetic and Plastic Procedures 71
High Heels, Haircuts, and Provocative Attire 73
The Myth Behind the Beauty Myth 75
Risk-Related Consumption Phenomena 78
Financial Risk Taking 78
Physical Risk Taking 80
The Evolutionary Roots of Conspicuous Consumption 84
Conspicuous Consumption in Religious Settings 89
The Universality and Innateness of Conspicuous Consumption 91
Philanthropy: Costly Signaling Via Nonreciprocal Altruism 95
The Survival Module 97
The Kin Selection Module 101
Family Research in Consumer Behavior 101
Evolutionary Account of Kin Relationships 104
Darwinian Perspective on Birth Order Effects in the Consumption Setting 108
The Reciprocation Module 111
Gift Giving as a Means of Creating and/or Solidifying Bonds 112
Consumption Behaviors Meant to Signal Group Membership 113
Identifying the Nonreciprocators 117
Cross-Cultural Differences in the Definition of Friendship 119
Chapter Summary 121

4 Advertising Content and Media Effects: Mirrors of Human Nature 123

Masculinity and Femininity From a Social Constructivist Perspective 124
Depiction of Femininity 125
Depiction of Masculinity 128
Depiction of Masculinity and Femininity in Children’s Mediums 133
Depiction of the Dynamics Between Men and Women 136
Evolutionary Account of Masculinity and Femininity 138
Depiction of Sexuality in Advertising 141
Use of Sexual Imagery and the Depiction of Women in Advertising 141
Variables That Moderate Reactions to Sex in Advertising 146
Condemnation of Advertising 147
Prescriptive Strategies to Address “Sexist” Advertising 150
Standardization Versus Adaptation of Advertising Message 152
Advertising Slogans and Darwinian Modules 155
Physical Attractiveness in Advertising: A Darwinian Perspective 157
Chapter Summary 161

5 The Darwinian Roots of Cultural Products 163

Evolutionary Perspective on Culture 165
Memetic Theory 166
Content Analysis of Specific Cultural Products 168?
Television Themes 169
Soap Operas 174
Talk Shows 179
Movies 183
Songs 188
Music Videos 196
Literature 198
Self-Help Books 202
Religion 211
Art 214
Chapter Summary 217

6 The Darwinian Roots of “Dark-Side” Consumption 219

The Darwinian Etiology of the Seven Deadly Sins 220
Darwinian Medicine and the Promotion of Health 222
Public Service Announcements and Evolutionary Theory 224
Analysis of Specific Dark-Side Consumption Behaviors 227
Pornography 228
Eating Disorders 236
Social Constructivist Perspective 236
Evolutionary Perspective 243
Gambling 245
Demographic Risk Factors Associated With Pathological Gambling 247
Domain-General Perspective of Addiction 250
Proximate Theories of Gambling 252
Evolutionary Explanation of Pathological Gambling 254
Compulsive Buying 255
Women and Compulsive Buying 256
Domain-General Perspective of Compulsive Buying 257
Proximate Issues Addressed by Marketing Scholars 259
Evolutionary Explanation of Compulsive Buying 261
Chapter Summary 263

7 Benefits of Darwinizing Consumer Research 265

Consilience, Fuller Explanations, and Novel Hypotheses 265
Evolutionary Psychology as an Epistemological Heuristic 269
Does Evolutionary Theory Yield Inactionable and/or Impractical Information? 271
The “Darwinizing” of the Cognate Disciplines Closest to Consumer Behavior 272
Chapter Summary 275
Concluding Remarks 276

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