The impact of luxury and performance associations of sports brands on self-esteem and motivation to practise physical activity

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how performance and luxury associations of sports brands impact consumers’ self-esteem and motivation to practise physical activity. Previous research suggests that performance brands increase consumers’ self-esteem. We theorize that luxury associations of sports brands will allow for a similar effect in self-esteem and that the combination of both associations in the same sports brand will result in a combination of the individual effects, resulting in greater self-esteem when compared to the isolated associations. Additionally, we propose that luxury and performance associations will both individually lead to heightened motivation to practise physical activity, due to different psychological processes. We theorize that self-efficacy will be a mediator in the relationship between performance associations and motivation, whereas social display will be a mediator in the relationship between luxury associations and motivation. Last, we foresee that the combination of both associations will lead to a heightened effect of motivation when compared to the isolated conditions. Primary data was collected in the form of an experimental questionnaire. Results failed to show significant effects of our predictors in self-esteem. Nevertheless, results suggest that motivation is partially heightened due to performance (non-luxury) associations, and that additional luxury associations of performance brands significantly decrease one’s motivation to practise physical activity.

Date of Award	5 Jul 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Niza Braga (Supervisor)