Hedonic Consumption: Emerging Concepts, Methods and Propositions
1982/07/01 by Elizabeth C. Hirschman, Morris B. Holbrook · 4,491 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Business #Computer science #Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification #Consumer Retail Behavior Studies #Consumer behaviour #Consumption (sociology) #Emotive #Fantasy #Marketing #Mathematics #Perspective (graphical) #Product (mathematics) #Psychology #Psychology of Social Influence #Social science #Sociology
paper · doi:10.1177/002224298204600314
published in Journal of Marketing 46(3), 92-101 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 1982/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract
This paper defines hedonic consumption as those facets of consumer behavior that relate to the multisensory, fantasy and emotive aspects of product usage experience. After delineating these concepts, their theoretical antecedents are traced, followed by a discussion of differences between the traditional and hedonic views, methodological implications of the latter approach, and behavioral propositions in four substantive areas relevant to hedonic consumption—mental constructs, product classes, product usage and individual differences. Conclusions concern the usefulness of the hedonic perspective in supplementing and extending marketing research on consumer behavior.
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