Author(s)

DongPing Zheng^*, Pei Feng, JinFu Huang

Affiliation(s)

School of Business Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China.

Corresponding Author

DongPing Zheng

ABSTRACT

The rise of self-improvement products is closely related to lifelong learning, skill iteration, and mental health needs in modern society. This paper integrates the theories of evolutionary psychology and sociology to reveal that they drive individual development through the dual path of compensatory psychological compensation and developmental multidimensional optimization. Products cover physical, cognitive, economic and spiritual categories, and consumption behavior is influenced by emotional perception (e.g., guilt triggers immediate consumption, and awe reinforces long-term commitment), cognitive motivation (goal setting and social comparison), and social environment (resource competition and group norms). Although technological empowerment has eased class anxiety, it has led to digital exclusion and ethical risks. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen interdisciplinary integration and long-term evaluation, and to balance technological rationality and humanistic care at the practical level in order to promote sustainable development.

KEYWORDS

Self-improvement; Self-improvement products; Compensatory motivation; Emotional perception; Social structure

CITE THIS PAPER

DongPing Zheng, Pei Feng, JinFu Huang. Literature review of self-improvement products. Journal of Trends in Financial and Economics. 2025, 2(2): 27-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/jtfe3041.

REFERENCES

[1] A Giddens. Modernity and Self-Identity. In: Social Theory Re-Wired, 3rd ed. Routledge, 2023.

[2] Z Bauman. Social Issues of Law and Order. The British Journal of Criminology, 2000, 40(2): 205–221. DOI:10.1093/bjc/40.2.205.

[3] J Veldhuis, F Te Poel, R Pepping, et al. “Skinny Is Prettier and Normal: I Want to Be Normal”—Perceived Body Image of Non-Western Ethnic Minority Children in the Netherlands. Body Image, 2017, 20: 74–86. DOI:10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.11.006.

[4] J S Shrauger, M Schohn. Self-Confidence in College Students: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Behavioral Implications. Assessment, 1995, 2(3): 255–278. DOI:10.1177/1073191195002003006.

[5] C Sedikides, M J Strube. Self-Evaluation: To Thine Own Self Be Good, To Thine Own Self Be Sure, To Thine Own Self Be True, and To Thine Own Self Be Better. In: M P Zanna (ed.). Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 29. Academic Press, 1997: 209–269. DOI:10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60018-0.

[6] S C Levinson. Language and Space. Annual Review of Anthropology, 1996, 25: 353–382. DOI:10.1146/annurev.anthro.25.1.353.

[7] X-C Liu, S Biao, D-Hui Dong. Pros and Cons of Self-Enhancement: Theory, Empirical Research, and Application. Advances in Psychological Science, 2011, 19(6): 883.

[8] T Allard, K White. Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products. Journal of Consumer Research, 2015, 42(3): 401–419. DOI:10.1093/jcr/ucv024.

[9] Y Ding, J Zhong. The Effect of Social Crowding on Individual Preference for Self-Improvement Products. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 2020, 52(2): 216–228. DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2019.00216.

[10] X Sun, X Li. Self-Improvement or Self-Enhancement? A Construal Level Theory Perspective. Psychological Science, 2012, 35(2): 264–269.

[11] Y An. The Influence of Guilt Emotions on High School Students’ Preference for Self-Improvement Products: The Mediating Role of Self-Enhancement Motivation. Sichuan Normal University, 2021.

[12] L Tong. The Impact of Types of Social Exclusion on Preference for Self-Improvement Products. Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, 2021.

[13] J Zhao. The Effect of Awe on Consumers’ Preference for Self-Improvement Products. Journal of Marketing Science, 2019(4): 38–51.

[14] J Li, X Li, Y Huang, et al. The Impact of Facial Recognition on Consumers’ Preference for Self-Improvement Products. Nankai Business Review, 2023, 26(5): 181–189.

[15] A Gregg, C Sedikides. Self-Enhancement. In: F Maggino (ed.). Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023: 6245–6248.

[16] S Diefenbach. The Potential and Challenges of Digital Well-Being Interventions: Positive Technology Research and Design in Light of the Bitter-Sweet Ambivalence of Change. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, 9. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00331.

[17] H Xiao, G Li, Y Chen, et al. The Time Effect on Desire for Self-Improvement Products. Current Psychology, 2023, 42(26): 23003–23017. DOI:10.1007/s12144-022-03405-3.

[18] P Ma. The Influence of Comparative Direction and Form of Data Feedback in Self-Improvement Applications on Consumers’ Intent to Use. Central University of Finance and Economics, 2022.

[19] C S Johnson, S D’Angelo. Low Self-Esteem Leads to Low-Quality Purchases. (2021-08-10). https://business.cornell.edu/hub/2021/08/10/low-self-esteem-leads-to-low-quality-purchases/.

[20] Y Wang, X Wang, H Chen (Allan), et al. Effect of Status Threat on Preference for Cross-Domain Self-Improvement Products: The Moderation of Trade-Off Beliefs. Journal of Business Research, 2024, 172: 114400. DOI:10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114400.

[21] J Yang, X Li, X Zhou. The Impact of Financial Constraints on Consumers’ Choice of Self-Improvement Products: The Moderating Role of Self-Value and Financial Relatedness. China Soft Science, 2019(1): 136–145.

[22] R Gong. The Effect of Threat to Self-Identity on Preference for Self-Improvement Products. Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, 2025. DOI:10.27296/d.cnki.gshcu.2023.001272.

[23] W Zhou, X Lin, J Lei, et al. MFFENet: Multiscale Feature Fusion and Enhancement Network for RGB–Thermal Urban Road Scene Parsing. IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, 2022, 24: 2526–2538. DOI:10.1109/TMM.2021.3086618.

[24] F Kehr, M Hassenzahl, M Laschke, et al. A Transformational Product to Improve Self-Control Strength: The Chocolate Machine. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2012: 689–694. DOI:10.1145/2207676.2207774.