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나를 위한 선물: 셀프기프트(Self-Gift) 소비행동에 대한 정성적 연구
Gift for Myself: A Qualitative Study of Self-Gift Behavior in Korea
이수현 ( Sue Hyun Lee ) , 이유재 ( Youjae Yi )
소비자학연구 24권 3호 123-155(33pages)
UCI I410-ECN-0102-2016-320-000427432

본 연구에서는 한국 소비자들의 셀프기프트 소비행동에 대한 이해를 높이기 위해 셀프기프트 동기, 셀프기프트 소비 후 감정, 셀프기프트의 주요 특징, 셀프기프트 소비행동의 진화과정 등을 파악하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 셀프기프트 소비행동 전반에 대해 문화기술적 면담(ethnographic interview)을 실시하였으며, 추가적으로 SNS 빅데 이터를 활용한 텍스트 마이닝을 시도하였다. 주요 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 2억 건의 SNS 데이터를 분석한 결과 실제로 셀프기프트와 관련된 표현의 언급빈도는 최근 3년간 급증하고 있었으며, 이를 통해 한국에서의 셀프기프트 현상의 증가 추세를 간접적으로 확인할 수 있었다. 둘째, 셀프기프트의 동기는 보상, 투자, 여윳돈, 기념일, 위로 등으로 나눌 수 있었다. 이 중 보상적 동기로 셀프 기프트를 하는 경우가 가장 많았고, 두세 가지 동기가 복합적으로 작용하는 경우도 많았다. 셀프기프트 동기와 관련 요인들을 원인연쇄분석(causal chain analysis)을 통해 분석한 결과, 각 동기들은 중간단계의 원인을 거쳐 ‘나는 소중하다’라는 심층적인 원인으로 수렴되고 있었고, 실제 셀프기프트 행동으로 전환되는 과정에서 ‘정당화’가 중요하게 작용하는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 셀프기프트 후에는 대부분 긍정적인 감정을 느꼈지만, 위로 동기의 경우에는 긍정적 감정과 부정적 감정이 혼재되는 경우가 많았다. 또한 주변 사람들의 피드백에 따라서 소비자들은 셀프기프트 후의 감정이 강화되거나 약화되는 경험을 하였다. 넷째, 셀프기프트 소비행동은 대중매체, 주변사례, 책 등 다양한 경로를 통해 자기학습되고, 주변 관찰을 통해 쉽게 전염되는 특성을 보였다. 소셜미디어의 발달로 온라인을 통한 사회적 상호작용이 활발해지면서 이러한 현상은 더욱 촉진되고 있었다. 또한 내가 소중하게 생각하는 사람을 위한 선물도 확장된 셀프기프트가 될 수 있었다. 다섯째, 셀프기프트 소비행동은 1) 셀프기프트 개념인식 단계, 2) 셀프기프트 첫경험 단계, 3) 셀프기프트 재시도 단계, 4) 적극적 셀프기프트 단계, 5) 셀프기프트 반복/습관화 단계 등을 거쳐 점점 진화하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로, 소비자행동 관점에서 연구의 이론적 및 실무적 시사점을 검토하고 향후 연구방향을 제시하였다.

Self-gift behavior is a large-scaled phenomenon that can be observed all over the world. However, there has not been enough research regarding such a trend especially in interdependent culture such as Korea and other Asian countries. Therefore, this study examines the motivation for self-gifts, the emotions following the consumption of self-gifts, the characteristics of self-gift behavior and the evolutionary process related to self-gift behavior in Korea. For this purpose, the authors adopted an ethnographic interview in order to gain a deeper understanding of selfgift behavior. Also, the social media text mining has been applied. The results of the research can be summarized as follows. First, the frequency of referring to the gifts given and the frequency of referring to self-gifts have been examined by analyzing 200 million cases of SNS big data over the last three years. It appears that the frequency of referring to gifts has not changed substantially over the last three years. However, the frequency of referring to self-gifts has increased rapidly. Based on such results, it is possible to indirectly check the increasing trend of self-gifts in Korea. Second, the motives of self-gifts can be divided into rewards (when you try to provide yourself with some rewards regarding personal achievements or efforts, or try to encourage yourself with incentives for the accomplishment of objectives), investment (when you try to increase your own competitiveness), extra money (when you get bonuses), anniversaries and holidays (when you try to celebrate special occasions), and therapies (when you try to relieve your own depression or stress). Among such categories, the type of self-gift behavior based on rewards has become the most frequent. Also, there are many cases of two or three motives combined together. By analyzing the motives of self-gifts and other related factors through the causal chain analysis, it has been found that the deep-rooted cause of these motives is the awareness that ‘I am precious.’ Also, it has been found that justification plays an important role in converting the five motives into the actual consumption of self-gifts. Third, the emotions after self-gifts have varied across motives. When the motives for selfgifts are rewards, investment, extra money, or anniversaries and holidays, most people experience positive emotions after giving themselves self-gifts. However, when the motives are therapies, there are many cases of positive and negative emotions mixed together. Also, people’s emotions after self-gifts are affected by feedback from others. Fourth, in addition to the major characteristics (e.g., the means to communicate with one’s self, a kind of self-contract, special meanings, a hedonic consumption and symbolic values) of self-gifts, which were commonly mentioned in previous studies, three more characteristics such as ‘cognitive self-learning,’ ‘contagion’ and ‘extended self-gifts’ have been discovered. Through various routes such as mass media, various anecdotal cases and books, the messages related to self-gifts can be recognized. If people are persuaded through such a process, they will experience cognitive self-learning. By acquiring, tuning and restructuring new information based on recognition of self-gifts, people can form a positive attitude toward self-gift behavior. Also, it has been found that the self-gift behavior can be easily contagious through observations. The case of self-gifts can be transferred to and empathized by one’s acquaintances through the mass media, causing more people to give themselves self-gifts. As online social interactions have become more active, self-gift behavior seems to have become more popular. Also, there have been many cases of extended self-gift behavior, including giving gifts to one’s family members or close friends. Last, self-gift behavior seems to evolve through the following stages; 1) the stage of recognizing the concept of self-gifts, 2) the stage of experiencing self-gifts for the first time, 3) the stage of re-attempting self-gifts, 4) the stage of actively giving self-gifts, and 5) the stage of repeated/ habituated self-gift behavior. Not all consumers who give self-gifts reach the stage of repeated/ habituated behavior. However, as long as they do not stop self-gifts after the first or second attempt, most of them seem to go through the above evolutionary stages. The theoretical implications of this study are as follows. First, this study expands the research scope of self-gift consumption behavior by utilizing the ethnographic interview, causal chain analysis and the social media text mining. Second, while the previous studies focused on the motives for self-gifts individually, this study analyzes the factors related to each motive in a combined and systematic way through the causal chain analysis. Through such a process, it has been discovered that a deep-rooted cause for every motive is the concept that ‘I am precious.’ In the process of various motives of self-gifts being actually converted into the activities related to self-gifts, ‘justification’ seems to play an important role. Third, this study has identified the motive of ‘investment’ which was not mentioned in previous studies. Finally, this study makes the first attempt to propose the evolutionary stages of the self-gift behavior. Self-gifts provide consumers with vitality and comfort in their life. Also, they aid self-development among consumers and create newmarkets for corporations. However, when self-gifts are habituated, they could lead to negative results such as excessive consumption. By an in-depth analysis of self-gift consumption behavior, this study has provided a starting point for the discussion of whether the increasing trend of self-gift behavior is appropriate for the society.

[자료제공 : 네이버학술정보]
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