Social Relationships and Consumer Behavior

This chapter discusses the intersection of social relationships and consumer behavior. It describes close personal consumer-to-consumer connections such as friendships, romantic relationships, and familial relationships, primarily in the form of dyads but also considering groups, which are generally less researched in consumer behavior. The chapter first proposes three key theoretical relationship dimensions (closeness, competitiveness, and power) and discusses the relevant psychology and marketing literatures on each of these dimensions as well as how each dimension affects two focal consumer behavior domains (motivation and decision making). It then shifts to discussing how consumer behavior actions within the context of a relationship can affect the relationship itself. Last, the chapter highlights gaps in the current understanding of consumer relationship theory and areas for future research. It also discusses challenges in studying relationships and identify solutions for dealing with those challenges