城乡炫耀性消费差异的根源探索

运用中国家庭追踪调查数据,研究发现:农村家庭的炫耀性消费支出比例显著高于城镇家庭,且这一结果随时间变化比较稳健。进一步研究发现,在考虑了家庭参照群体的平均收入之后,城乡炫耀性消费差异不再显著,且参照群体的平均收入对家庭炫耀性消费的影响显著为负。这很可能来源于家庭为寻求社会地位而消费的动机,更高的社会地位意味着更多的财富和带来更高的收益。炫耀性消费充当了家庭社会地位的信号,向其参照群体传递了自身的收入水平状况,参照群体的平均收入越低,消费者寻求社会地位的消费动机越强。农村家庭参照群体的平均收入较低,所以其寻求社会地位的动机更强、炫耀性消费水平更高。因此,寻求社会地位的消费动机是城乡炫耀性消费差异的主要原因。

The Difference Between Urban and Rural Conspicuous Consumption and Social Status Seeking

Using the data from Chinese Family Panel Studies,this paper finds that the conspicuous con sumption proportion of rural households is significantly higher than that of urban households.and this difference is relatively stable over time;further research found that after considering the average income of family reference groups,the difference between urban and rural conspicuous consumption is no longer sig nificant.and the impact of the average income of the reference group on household conspicuous consump tion is significantly negative.This is likely to stem from the motivation of the family to consume for social status.Higher social status means more wealth and higher returns.Conspicuous consumption acts as a signal of family social status and conveys its income level to its reference group.The lower the average in come of the reference group,the stronger the consumer's motivation to seek social status.Rural household reference groups have lower average income,so their motivation to seek social status is stronger,and the level of conspicuous consumption is higher.Therefore,the consumer motivation for seeking social status is the main reason for the difference in urban and rural conspicuous consumption.