Collectors and Collecting: A Social Psychological Perspective

Authors: WILLIAM McINTOSH¹; BRANDON SCHMEICHEL²

Source: Leisure Sciences, Volume 26, Number 1, Jan-Mar 2004 , pp. 85-97(13)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Collecting is a pervasive behavior in our culture, yet it has received little attention in the psychological literature. We examine eight aspects of the collecting process, drawing on existing ideas and research in social psychology as well as existing research on collectors and collecting to describe the motivations that underlie collecting behavior. We suggest that collectors are drawn to collecting as a means of bolstering the self by setting up goals that are tangible and attainable and provide the collector with concrete feedback of progress.

Keywords: collecting; goals

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/01490400490272639

Affiliations: 1: Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA 2: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

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