Superstition, Ethics, and Transformative Consumer Research

Abstract

The growing popularity of research on the role of superstition and other extraordinary beliefs in the marketplace presents new challenges and opportunities for the enhancement of consumer well-being. Drawing upon the three major ethical traditions of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, I offer some preliminary proposals for how this area of investigation might adopt the principles of transformative consumer research (TCR) and promote the goals of consumer welfare and sustainability. The common types of studies in this area are categorized, as well as the degree of risk these studies pose for possible negative consumer and societal outcomes. Finally, I discuss some issues to be considered and offer some suggestions for applying the goals of TCR to research on superstition and extraordinary beliefs.

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