Political conservatism and variety‐seeking

Abstract

Abstract In this research, we document and explain a counterintuitive effect of political ideology on variety‐seeking. Although political conservatives have a higher desire for control, which exerts a negative effect on variety‐seeking, they also have a stronger motivation to follow social norms, which exerts a positive effect on variety‐seeking. Three studies demonstrate that conservatism is positively related to variety‐seeking due to social normative concerns and rule out an alternative explanation of heightened self‐expressive motives among conservatives. This research provides preliminary evidence of how political ideology may explain differences in product choices.