The influence of gender and self-monitoring on the products consumers choose for joint consumption

Abstract

We examine how impression management can influence the types of products consumers suggest for joint consumption in same-gender and mixed-gender situations. We show that when motivated to engage in impression management, those who care the most about their self-presentations (high self-monitors) are more likely to choose products that take into account the need to accommodate the co-consumer's preferences as well as the desire to remain consistent with gender role expectations and to correct negative expectations of sexism. Whereas the co-consumers' preferences and chooser's gender role expectations are aligned in same-gender situations (i.e., females consuming with females), in cross-gender situations (i.e., males consuming with females), male consumers' willingness to accommodate the female co-consumer's preferences is limited by gender role expectations in certain social contexts (e.g., romantic relationships). Within mixed-gender situations, we also find that high self-monitoring male consumers' ability to accommodate a feminist female co-consumers' preferences is limited by the desire to correct negative expectations and avoid appearing sexist.