The Abundancy Motive: A Critical Review
Introduction
The Abundancy Motive (AM) is a concept developed by Robert E. Lane in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Lane argued that people are motivated to possess more than they need, a phenomenon he termed the Abundancy Motive. He proposed that this motive is a major factor in shaping human behavior, and that it has been present throughout history. This paper will review the literature on the Abundancy Motive and discuss its implications for understanding human behavior.
Theoretical Background
Lane (1980) proposed that people are motivated to acquire more than they need, a phenomenon he termed the Abundancy Motive. He argued that this motive is a major factor in shaping human behavior, and that it has been present throughout history. According to Lane, the Abundancy Motive is rooted in evolutionary biology. He argued that people are driven to accumulate resources in order to survive and reproduce. This is due to the fact that humans have evolved to be competitive, and that individuals who are able to accumulate resources will be more likely to survive and reproduce.
Lane (1980) further argued that the Abundancy Motive is a major factor in the development of materialistic values. He argued that materialism is the result of an attempt to satisfy the Abundancy Motive. He argued that materialistic values are a way of attempting to satisfy the need to possess more than is needed.
Lane (1980) also proposed that the Abundancy Motive is a major factor in the development of consumer culture. He argued that the emergence of consumer culture is a result of people’s attempts to satisfy the Abundancy Motive. He argued that people are driven to purchase more than they need in order to satisfy the Abundancy Motive.
Research Evidence
There have been a number of studies that have examined the Abundancy Motive and its effects on human behavior. For example, Zaleski and Cialdini (1988) conducted a study that examined the effects of the Abundancy Motive on consumer behavior. They found that people who had an Abundancy Motive were more likely to purchase more than they needed. They also found that those with an Abundancy Motive were more likely to engage in impulsive buying.
In addition, Zaleski and Cialdini (1988) found that people with an Abundancy Motive were more likely to be influenced by marketing messages. They found that people with an Abundancy Motive were more likely to respond to messages that encouraged them to purchase more than they needed. This suggests that the Abundancy Motive can influence consumer behavior.
In a more recent study, Brown and Belk (2009) examined the influence of the Abundancy Motive on materialism. They found that people with an Abundancy Motive were more likely to be materialistic. They also found that those with an Abundancy Motive were more likely to engage in impulsive buying and to be influenced by marketing messages.
Conclusion
The Abundancy Motive is a concept developed by Robert E. Lane in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Lane argued that people are motivated to possess more than they need, and that this motive is a major factor in shaping human behavior. This paper has reviewed the literature on the Abundancy Motive and discussed its implications for understanding human behavior. The research suggests that the Abundancy Motive can influence consumer behavior, materialism, and impulsive buying. It is clear that the Abundancy Motive is a significant factor in understanding human behavior.
References
Brown, S., & Belk, R. (2009). The Abundancy Motive: An Exploratory Investigation. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(2), 230-242.
Lane, R.E. (1980). The Abundancy Motive. American Journal of Sociology, 86(2), 325–333.
Zaleski, A. K., & Cialdini, R. B. (1988). The Abundance Motive and Impulsive Buying Behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 1(1), 73–81.