Jane Jiaqian Wang

Publications

Wang, Jiaqian and Maferima Touré-Tillery, “Unclearly Immoral: Low Self-Concept Clarity Increases Moral Disengagement,” Accepted for publication in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

        This research examines the effect of self-concept clarity (i.e., having self-beliefs that are clearly and confidently defined, internally consistent, and stable) on moral behaviors. Seven preregistered studies (N = 3373) document that low (vs. high) self-concept clarity decreases moral behaviors (e.g., donation, volunteering) while increasing immoral behaviors (e.g., tax avoidance, cheating for monetary gains in an incentivized game). This effect occurs because low self-concept clarity increases moral disengagement, leading people to behave in morally questionable manners without damaging their self-concept. As evidence for this proposed underlying mechanism, we show that the effect of self-concept clarity on moral behavior is mediated by state moral disengagement and attenuates (a) among people with low trait moral disengagement, (b) among people with high trait moral identity internalization, and (c) in the presence of an honor pledge cueing moral engagement. We then show that the effect holds only when a prosocial act is congruent with a personal value. Overall, these findings contribute to the literature on self-concept and moral self-regulation and have implications for how to promote morality and curb unethical behaviors in society.

Wang, Jiaqian and Yiqi Yu (2023), “Beautify the Blurry Self: Low Self-Concept Clarity Increases Appearance Management,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, 33(2), 377-393. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1298

The current research examines how and why self-concept clarity (i.e., having self-aspects that are integrated into a well-defined whole) shapes consumers’ appearance management behaviors. Five (including four pre-registered) studies and one supplemental study provide correlational and causal evidence for the link between low self-concept clarity and appearance management (e.g., choice of appearance-enhancing products, interest in cosmetic procedures and beauty filters). Further, we demonstrate that public self-consciousness mediates this effect (Studies 3-4). We also find convergent process-by-moderation evidence that low self-concept clarity increases appearance management only when the appearance management behavior is perceived to be socially acceptable (Study 5). In addition, we rule out global and appearance self-esteem, private self-consciousness, self-improvement, and mood management as potential mechanisms. This research extends the literature on self-concept, impression management, and appearance management and yields implications for beauty marketing, health communication, and consumer well-being.

*Lee, Angela Y., *Jiaqian Wang, Ulf Böckenholt, Leonard Lee, Rafal Ohme, Dorota Reykowska, and Catherine Yeung (2022), “The Enthusiasts and the Reluctants of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Cluster Analysis,” Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 7(2), 222-234. https://doi.org/10.1086/718458

Addressing vaccine hesitancy has taken on a new sense of urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy research examines demographic correlates of vaccination intent, which could lead to a suboptimal one-size-fits-all strategy. This research aims to offer insights into COVID-19 vaccination promotion by conducting segmentation analyses using psychological and behavioral factors that may correlate with vaccination uptake. The results of two US-based studies identified six segments that differ in perceptions, attitudes, concerns, and behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The segments also differ in vaccination intent (Study 1) and actual vaccination rate (Study 2), with different factors driving vaccination intent/rates. The implication is that targeted interventions are warranted to increase vaccine uptake. Recommendations on how policymakers may design different interventions and locate the relevant segments to encourage vaccine uptake are discussed.

Wang, Jiaqian and Angela Y. Lee. (2020), “Keeping Safe Versus Staying Healthy: The Effect of Regulatory Fit on Social Distancing,” Behavioral Science & Policy, 6(2), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1353/bsp.2020.0012

Some states’ COVID-19 social distancing directives spotlight the goal of health promotion (that is, staying healthy), whereas others underscore illness prevention (that is, keeping safe). Regulatory fit theory holds that persuasiveness is influenced by how well the framing of a message resonates with fundamental motivations that influence recipients’ behavior. People who are motivated to approach desirable outcomes generally respond best to health messages having a promotion frame, whereas people who are motivated to avoid undesirable outcomes respond best to health messages having a prevention frame. In the research presented in this article, we show that the effectiveness of COVID-19-related directives is influenced by the fit between promotion or prevention framing and the recipients’ identity—whether they view themselves as independent actors or as part of a larger community. We found that an appeal that highlighted health promotion and benefits to the individual (as in “what you can do to help you stay healthy”) or one that highlighted disease prevention and protection of society (as in “what you can do to keep America safe”) led to greater intent to practice social distancing than did appeals using other pairings of framing and identity, particularly in people who were not already practicing rigorous social distancing. The findings suggest that policymakers should consider regulatory fit—and specifically, the pairings described above—when designing public health communications relating to COVID-19 and other directives.

Manuscripts under Revision

Wang, Jiaqian and Chuang Wei, “Does Featuring People with Disabilities Help or Hurt Fashion Marketing Effectiveness?” Under 3rd round review at Journal of Marketing Research