Boundedly rational consumers rely on their social environment as a source of information. Drawing upon psychological theories about social comparison processes, we hypothesize that social reference groups underlie market segments. New reference groups can emerge from social comparison processes,...

Conflict and rivalry are among the main reasons why human beings form groups and they determine what goes on within and between groups. However, why is threatening competition such a strong driver of brand community? How, where and why does rivalry or oppositional loyalty manifest itself within...

We use quantitative and qualitative data to explore the psychological impact of weight change among American adults. Using data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study, a survey of more than 3000 adults ages 25–74 in 1995, we contrast underweight, normal weight,...