Built by Love: Romantic Relationship Motives and Do-It-Yourself Product Consumption

Abstract

Do-it-yourself (DIY) products are widespread in the marketplace yet remain under-researched. The present study therefore investigates consumers’ preferences for DIY products from an evolutionary psychology perspective. Specifically, we explore how the activation of two romantic relationship motives affects men's and women's DIY product preferences. Across four main studies and two supplementary ones (N = 3014), we find that when a relationship formation motive is activated, men prefer DIY products more than women, as they tend to be more risk-taking (Studies 1, 2, and Supplementary Study 1). Exploring this effect further, we find that women prefer DIY products more when they engage in the DIY consumption process together with a partner (Study 3) and when they experience an increased sense of power (Supplementary Study 2). We also find that the identified effect only holds in utilitarian (vs. hedonic) contexts (Study 4). The research has practical implications for marketers and retailers, as it indicates how DIY consumption can be increased both for men and women.