Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.

Prior studies revealed varying effects of resource scarcity on individuals' general categorization tendency. However, little is known about when and why such differences occur. Based on the self-regulatory model of resource scarcity, we examine whether resource scarcity generates higher or lowe...

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Main Authors: Haowen Xiao, Jiayi Guo, Junyi Fang, Ting Xiao, Guocheng Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286619
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author Haowen Xiao
Jiayi Guo
Junyi Fang
Ting Xiao
Guocheng Li
author_facet Haowen Xiao
Jiayi Guo
Junyi Fang
Ting Xiao
Guocheng Li
author_sort Haowen Xiao
collection DOAJ
description Prior studies revealed varying effects of resource scarcity on individuals' general categorization tendency. However, little is known about when and why such differences occur. Based on the self-regulatory model of resource scarcity, we examine whether resource scarcity generates higher or lower general categorization tendency depending on the perceived mutability of the resource discrepancy. We conducted two online experiments to test the hypotheses. The results affirmed that when individuals consider the resource discrepancy to be mutable, they are more likely to seek abundance to compensate for resource scarcity, thus reducing their general categorization tendency. In contrast, perceiving the scarcity as immutable triggers the intention to restore a sense of control undermined by the scarcity, increasing individuals' general categorization tendency. Our findings provide insights into the downstream consequences of resource scarcity and offer significant managerial implications for coping strategies.
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spelling doaj.art-6d0fbe4f14a74dca9a0cef82e41f79be2023-09-04T05:31:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01188e028661910.1371/journal.pone.0286619Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.Haowen XiaoJiayi GuoJunyi FangTing XiaoGuocheng LiPrior studies revealed varying effects of resource scarcity on individuals' general categorization tendency. However, little is known about when and why such differences occur. Based on the self-regulatory model of resource scarcity, we examine whether resource scarcity generates higher or lower general categorization tendency depending on the perceived mutability of the resource discrepancy. We conducted two online experiments to test the hypotheses. The results affirmed that when individuals consider the resource discrepancy to be mutable, they are more likely to seek abundance to compensate for resource scarcity, thus reducing their general categorization tendency. In contrast, perceiving the scarcity as immutable triggers the intention to restore a sense of control undermined by the scarcity, increasing individuals' general categorization tendency. Our findings provide insights into the downstream consequences of resource scarcity and offer significant managerial implications for coping strategies.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286619
spellingShingle Haowen Xiao
Jiayi Guo
Junyi Fang
Ting Xiao
Guocheng Li
Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.
PLoS ONE
title Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.
title_full Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.
title_fullStr Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.
title_full_unstemmed Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.
title_short Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability.
title_sort impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency the moderating role of perceived mutability
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286619
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