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Task, associative, ego, and extrinsic goal orientations: An experiential analysis of collectors' search
Abstract
This dissertation draws primarily from two streams of research in marketing, the collecting literature and the consumer search literature as well as research in social and educational psychology to examine the goals, behaviors, and benefits of collectors' search processes. Based upon achievement theory, a typology of goal orientations is developed. The typology identifies four categories of goal orientations in collecting: task, associative, ego, and extrinsic and suggests that these goals can be used to predict the different characteristics of individuals in each category and the differential effects of each goal orientation on search behaviors and the benefits derived from collecting. The primary contribution of this dissertation is that it examines both the emotional and cognitive states of the collector embedded in his/her search experiences. It is also unique in that the typology and hypotheses were developed by melding previous theoretical work with substantive findings discovered in qualitative research (i.e., a pluralistic philosophy guided its conceptualization). Using a traditional social psychological approach, a variety of theories are drawn upon to examine the acquisition processes of collecting. More specifically, cognitive evaluation theory, curiosity theory, flow theory, and theories of consumer search provide the theoretical foundation for the hypotheses and qualitative studies of child and adult collectors provide the substantive foundation for the hypothesis. The results of a survey of antique collectors show that collectors with different goal orientations differ in the degree to which they feel self-determined, competent, curious, and motivated to achieve flow. It also finds that the goal orientation with which a collector approaches his/her search affects the extent to which they search and the information sources (objective or subjective) which are used as well as the benefits obtained from search including flow, hedonic and utilitarian satisfaction, spontaneous experiences, and self-gift experiences for reward and/or therapy.
Subject Area
Marketing|Personality
Recommended Citation
Baker, Stacey Karlene Menzel, "Task, associative, ego, and extrinsic goal orientations: An experiential analysis of collectors' search" (1996). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9628220.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9628220