Research on the Influence of Culture Capital on Compensatory Consumption Based on Relative Deprivation Theory

Abstract

Compensatory consumption refers to the alternative consumption behavior adopted by individuals to make up for a certain psychological disadvantage or self-threat. It is a new topic worth exploring in the field of consumer behavior. In the past, the research focused on the mechanism of compensatory consumption from the perspective of social identity theory and power. However, few literatures explore the mechanism of compensatory consumption on the base of relative deprivation theory. Therefore, based on the relative deprivation theory, this research explores the mechanism of cultural capital’s influence on compensatory consumption, and examines the moderating effects of social support. Through empirical analysis of 357 questionnaire data, the study found that: culture capital negatively affects relative deprivation and compensatory consumption; relative deprivation positively affects compensatory consumption and plays a mediating role between cultural capital and compensatory consumption; social support moderates the relationship between cultural capital and compensatory consumption by weakening individual relative deprivation.