Ş. Sinem Atakan
Research Interests
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Food consumption
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Self-made products & self-production: Identity, involvement, emotions, health outcomes
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Cross-cultural differences: Self-construal, regulatory focus
Food Consumption
In line with my personal ambition to have a positive impact on society through my work, a couple of years ago I decided to combine my background in self-made products with healthy food consumption. In the face of the obesity epidemic, doctors and public officials are recommending consumers cook more meals at home (rather than eat out or order in). However, these recommendations are often anecdotal and rely on broad, aggregate correlational studies. In reality, recent empirical studies suggest that preparing food oneself actually increases consumption. Hence, a systematic, evidence-based approach is needed to clarify when and how food preparation results in healthy consumption. Most research to date has focused on healthy eating attitudes and food choices, but not on how consumption is affected by the act of preparation itself. The goal of my research stream is to investigate the connection between cooking for oneself and healthy food consumption.
In order to tackle this complex issue, I have decided to use a multi-step research methodology. The findings from the first step (netnography and in-depth interviews) of this new research stream are presented below.
PUBLICATIONS AND WORKING PAPERS
AN INVESTIGATION OF HOME-COOKING FROM A CONSUMER MOTIVATION PERSPECTIVE
Motivations that direct consumers to prepare food at home were investigated using the nethnography methodology. Aproximately 2000 consumer testimonials, collected from 4 different forums (2 in Turkish, 2 in English), were analyzed by two different researchers. The testimonials from both the Turkish and the English sites indicate that even a mundane production activity such as food preparation may result from several different motivations (physiological need, safety need, autonomy and control need, belongingness and love need, need to rest and relax, sensory stimulation, cognitive stimulation, self-expression and creativity). Moreover, the findings reveal how the economic and socio-cultural background of consumers affects the motivations. Cultural differences affect which motivations stand out, the focus of the production process (self versus others), the valence of the language (positive versus negative), whether the production process is perceived as a learned task or an internal ability, how the production process is categorized, and finally the significance of the gender role on the production process.
Citation: Atakan, Sinem and Mina Seraj (2016), “An Investigation of Home-Cooking From a Consumer Motivation Perspective/ Evde Yemek Hazırlama Davranışının Tüketici Motivasyonu Yönünden İncelenmesi,” Journal of Marketing and Market Research/ Pazarlama ve Pazarlama Araştırmaları Dergisi, 9(18), 105-133.
SELF-PRODUCER`S JOURNEY: IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION AND TRANSFORMATION IN SELF-PRODUCTION
Self-production, the participation of consumers in the production process of products that they consume, has developed into a conventional act in various domains. Through netnographic analysis of six online cooking communities, this study investigates the self-production process, how it impacts the identities of self-producers, and the communal engagements around self-production. The findings reveal bi-directional relationships among the act of self-production, individual`s identities, and the community around the act. The self-producer identity is reflexively transformed through the act, its outputs, as well as the interactions within the communal sphere. Furthermore, the negotiations around what is authentic self-production and how ownership can be claimed over outputs point out to the legitimization efforts of the process and its outputs. The distinctive communal interactions that surround the legitimization efforts as well as several layers of reflexive identity transformation processes render the need to define and highlight the unique properties (e.g., practice and learning orientations) of self-production communities.
Citation: Atakan, Sinem and Mina Seraj “Self-Producer`s Journey: Identity Construction and Transformation in Self-Production," working paper.*
* This work has been supported by TUBITAK (project no: 215K222).
CATCHING THE HEALTH WAGON: CONSUMERS` STRATEGIES OF CONTROL IN HEALTHY FOOD CONSUMPTION
This two-step qualitative study, consisting of netnography and in-depth interviews with consumers and dieticians, focuses on cooking and eating practices to understand how consumers adopt what they perceive as healthy eating behaviors. We find four strategies through which consumers try to establish control over their food consumption and general well-being.
Citation: Atakan, Sinem, and Meltem Ture, “Catching the Health Wagon: Consumers` Strategies of Control in Healthy Food Consumption,” working paper.*
* This work has been supported by TUBITAK (project no: 215K222).
Self-Made Products & Self-Production
CONSUMER PARTICIPATION IN THE DESIGN AND REALIZATION STAGES OF PRODUCTION
Psychological responses of consumers to specific stages of self-production activities are investigated in four studies. Findings reveal that consumer participation in the realization stage (physical production) enhances affective commitment to the product. However, physical production without opportunity to express choice or creativity during the production process does not change the symbolic meaning of the product (how self-expressive it is) and, therefore, does not result in identification with the product. Participation during the design stage (input-specification) enhances identification, leading to affective commitment, which in turn enhances evaluation of the self-made product. Finally, engaging consumers in both the realization and design stages of the production process does not create value for consumers over and above the main effects created by a high level of participation in either stage.
Citation: Atakan, Sinem, Richard P. Bagozzi, and Carolyn Yoon (2014), “Consumer Participation in the Design and Realization Stages of Production: How Self-Production Shapes Consumer Evaluations and Relationship to Products,” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 31(4), 395-408.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN: HOW PROCESS VALENCE AND SELF-CONSTRUAL AFFECT EVALUATION OF SELF-MADE PRODUCTS
Self-production, participation of consumers in the production process of products for their own consumption, leads to consumers’ enhanced evaluations of the self-made products. Three experimental studies investigate how and why self-production affects consumers’ product evaluations and reveal that not all production experiences create additional value for all consumers. In particular, Studies 1 and 2, using hypothetical stories and real experiences, show that only positive (vs. negative) production experiences enhance evaluations of self-made products over products made by others. Positive (but not negative) experiences decrease the psychological distance between the self and the product and strengthen identification with it. Study 3 manipulates self-construal (independent vs. interdependent) to investigate its role on evaluation of self-made products and products made with close others as a group (i.e., group-made). Consumers with independent self-construal evaluate self-made (vs. other-made) products more favorably only if the process is positive. However, consumers with interdependent self-construal evaluate self-made products more favorably even if the process is negative. Additionally, consumers with interdependent (vs. independent) self-construal exhibit more favorable evaluation of group-made products. Finally, even if consumers know how another person feels while making a product, other people’s process emotions do not affect consumers’ product judgments as strongly as their own experienced process emotions.
Citation: Atakan, Sinem, Richard P. Bagozzi, and Carolyn Yoon (2014), “ Make it Your Own: How Process Valence and Self-Construal Affect Evaluation of Self-Made Products,” Psychology & Marketing, 31(6), 451-468.
CONSUMER RESPONSE TO PRODUCT CONSTRUCTION: THE ROLE OF HAPTIC STIMULATION
This study investigates how consumers are affected by haptic information, that is, the information acquired through the sense of touch, when they take part in the construction or assembly of a product. In order to create value for consumers, marketers must understand how and why haptic information affects the evaluative processes of consumers and whether there are specific segments that are affected differentially by the process. An experimental design with two between-subjects factors was used to examine consumers’ responses to haptic stimulation during the physical construction of a picture frame. The results demonstrate that positive haptic stimulation evoked by the materials used in the product’s construction results in an affective response and creates emotional attachment to the finished product. However, the effect is not generalizable to the general population. It depends on the level of autotelic (not functional) need for touch (NFT) that the consumer has. Consumers who have high autotelic NFT are more likely to become attached to and, consequently, enhance their evaluation of the finished product when the product materials used during the construction evoke a positive haptic stimulation.
Citation: Atakan, Sinem (2014), “ Consumer Response to Product Construction: The Role of Haptic Stimulation,” International Journal of Consumer Studies, 38(6), 586-592.
Publications
JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Koz, Zeynep and Sinem Atakan (2018), “Online versus Traditional: A Comparison of Consumers` Perceptions of YouTube and TV Ads,” Journal of Marketing and Market Research / Pazarlama ve Pazarlama Araştırmaları Dergisi, 11(21), 29-50.
Atakan, Sinem (2016), “A Conceptual and Empirical Investigation of Regulatory Focus Scales / Düzenleyici Odaklar Ölçeklerinin Kavramsal ve Ampirik Olarak İncelenmesi,” Journal of Consumer and Consumption Research / Tüketici ve Tüketim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 8(1), 1-27.
Atakan, Sinem and Mina Seraj (2016), “An Investigation of Home-Cooking From a Consumer Motivation Perspective/ Evde Yemek Hazırlama Davranışının Tüketici Motivasyonu Yönünden İncelenmesi,” Journal of Marketing and Market Research / Pazarlama ve Pazarlama Araştırmaları Dergisi, 9(18), 105-133.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Atakan, Sinem and Mina Seraj (2016), “A Theoretical Framework for Maker Culture: Negotiation of Prosumption at the Individual and Cultural Spheres within the Context of Food,” Proceedings of the 45thEMAC Conference, May 24-27, Oslo, Norway.
Atakan, Sinem and Xiaohan Wen (2015), “Consumer Response to Different Types of Empowerment Campaign Announcements,” in Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 11, eds. Echo Wen Wan and Meng Zhang, Duluth, MN: Association for Consumer Research.
Wen, Xiaohan and Sinem Atakan (2014), “When Does Customer Empowerment Make a Difference? An Exploration of Consumer Response to Different Types of Empowerment Campaign Announcements,” Proceedings of the 43rd EMAC Conference, July 3-6, Valencia, Spain.
Arı, Ela, Koen Pauwels, and Sinem Atakan (2013), “The Dynamics of Groupon: Repeat Purchase and Word-of-Mouth After the Deep Discount,” Proceedings of the 42rdEMAC Conference, June 4-7, Istanbul, Turkey.
Atakan, Sinem, Richard P. Bagozzi, Carolyn Yoon (2013), “ How Participation in Different Stages of Self-Production Differentially Influence Consumers` Evaluation of, and Relationship with, Self-Made Products,” European Advances in Consumer Research, 10.
Atakan, Sinem, Richard P. Bagozzi, Carolyn Yoon (2011), “Investment of Self through Process Involvement,” in Advances in Consumer Research, Volume 38, eds. Darren W. Dahl, Gita V. Johar, and Stijn M.J. van Osselaer, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research.
Atakan, Sinem, Richard P. Bagozzi, Carolyn Yoon (2011), “Investment of Self Into Products,” in European Advances in Consumer Research, Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 571-572.
Atakan, Sinem, Katherine Burson, and Richard Bagozzi (2009), “How I Feel is More Important than How You Feel: The Role of Process and Outcome Emotions on Object Evaluation,” in Advances in Consumer Research, Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, page 943.