Every person has two apparently contradictory needs: (1) to fit in a
social group and (2) to be distinctive and special. These needs are, in my
view, deeply rooted in our evolutionary past. First, we need to be part of a social
group, the evolutionary explanation being that as part of a group we have more
chances of fulfilling the evolutionary macro-goals of survival and successful
reproduction. I have addressed this issue in Doing What Others Do – SocialInfluences of Peers.
Second, we need to be distinctive
because we have to compete with others for limited resources and for social
relationships such as attracting friends and potential mates. I have addressed this
issue in Keep Up With the Others - Social Competition.
The evolutionary explanation for
these needs is not the only one. It is possible that we have these needs simply
because we need to feel comfortable with ourselves. I personally prefer the
evolutionary explanation.
As mentioned in the beginning the need to fit in a social group and the
need to be distinctive are apparently in conflict one with another. Despite
this, these two needs are not
antagonistic, meaning that a compromise can be reached. The compromise result
is that people have a need to feel themselves as moderately distinctive. Both extreme
similarity and extreme dissimilarity to others are unpleasant and discomforting.
Moreover, people who see themselves as moderately distinct from others
experience general positive affect (good mood).
When we are made aware that we are similar to others, we tend to reaffirm
our distinctiveness by conforming less, expressing less popular attitudes and
placing more value on scarce experiences and messages.
In formal terms the need to be (feel) distinctive is called “need for
uniqueness” and is a personality trait. Everybody has this need for uniqueness;
however there are individual differences in the degree to which people feel
this need. Psychology literature has identified two scales to measure need for
uniqueness. In brief, the first scale developed was the Need For Uniqueness
scale (NU). This scale focused mainly on manifestations of (somehow) risky
public behavior. Since this measure was suboptimal, another scale was
developed, namely the Self-attributed need for uniqueness (SANU).
For marketing the NU is relevant
because it predicts consumers’ selection of observable products. The SANU is
better at predicting the desire for scarce products, customized products and
pursuing uniqueness through consumption.
Distinctiveness can be expressed
through many means. Next the most relevant ways of “showing” uniqueness are
presented.
First, people can express distinctiveness and at the same time satisfy
the need of belonging to a social group by being (or identifying themselves as)
part of a small somehow exclusive social group. I call this the “better minority” effect. In
essence an individual likes to belong to a special small social group that
s(he) perceives as being better than the majority or general population. The
smaller the “better minority” the more its members identify themselves with the
group and satisfy their need for uniqueness. Moreover, when people are made
aware of their lack of distinctiveness they tend to identify themselves with “better
minority” groups.
Second, people can express distinctiveness through consumption. For
instance, people can show uniqueness by
buying and possessing scarce products. In fact people with high scores on
need for uniqueness (measured using the SANU scale) as compared with people
with low scores on need for uniqueness tend to prefer more scarce (rare)
products such as “limited edition” over common ones.
Another way in which people can
express distinctiveness through consumption is by favoring highly innovative products before others do. In other
words, people who are high on need for uniqueness tend to adopt new and
innovative products earlier than people with low need for uniqueness. To put
things a bit differently, the early adopters of highly innovative products are
people who have a high need to feel and show that they are different from the
large majority.
Remaining in the area of
consumption, people can express
distinctiveness through customization (personalization) of products. People
who score high on need for uniqueness (measured using the SANU scale) show a
higher preference for personalized and customized products than people who have
low scores. To put things a bit differently, the entire industry of customizing
mobile phones, clothes, cars etc. is driven by Need for uniqueness.
Another mean of showing
uniqueness through consumption is the
preference for less popular products. People with high levels of need for
uniqueness prefer less popular brands, colors and products over their more
popular alternatives. However, this effect is valid only for items that are
visible suggesting that the preference for less popular products is used to show
“public uniqueness” and not “private uniqueness”.
I have devoted much attention to
expressing uniqueness through consumption, but this does not mean that each and
every person expresses uniqueness through these means. In fact many people express their distinctiveness
through experiences. Let’s imagine a beer chat between two couples. One
couple describes in detail the new mobile phone they bought and show them
extensively. This couple expresses distinctiveness through consumption. The other couple tells a story about their
latest holiday in an exotic destination where they did scuba diving. This
couple expresses distinctiveness through experiences.
For the ones interested more in
expressing uniqueness through consumption, I recommend checking out the following
two measures: “Desire for unique consumer products (DUCP)” and “Consumer need
for uniqueness”. They are considered to
be more useful in applied marketing research that the general measures of need
for uniqueness.
Before ending this post, I would
like to remind you that each and every
person has the two needs of feeling distinctive and at the same time belong to
a social group. There are, however, personal differences in the extent to which
we feel the need of being distinctive and this is called need for uniqueness
and it can be measured. This need is “activated” when people are made aware of
their lack of distinctiveness. Moreover, the need for uniqueness is manifested
more when the information on lack of distinctiveness is consciously detected as
opposed to unconscious detection.
Like it? Spice Up Your Business
This post is documented from:
Lynn Michael, and Snyder C.R. “Uniqueness seeking” chapter 28 in Handbook of
Positive Psychology (source)
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