소비자역량에 대한 객관적, 주관적 평가의 불일치 정도가 소비생활만족에 미치는 영향

This study overviews Korean consumers’ objective consumer competency and subjective consumer competency, and tests the impact of discrepancy between them on consumption life satisfaction. Discrepancy between objective and subjective consumer competency refers to the gap between consumers’ actual capability measured by consumer competency index and subjectively perceived capability. Data collected for ‘2018 Consumer Competency Survey’ using proportional sampling method were used(N=2,000). Despite somewhat different patterns among consumer competency sub-domains, Korean consumers had realistic perceptions of their consumer competency overall. Multiple regression model testing results demonstrated that objective consumer competency (consumer competency index) positively affects consumption life satisfaction while discrepancy between objective and subjective consumer competency negatively affects consumption life satisfaction. Results of serial multiple mediator model using Process Macro(Model 6) also showed that subjective consumer competency and consumer confidence mediate the relationship between objective consumer competency and consumption life satisfaction. The results emphasize the importance of managing subjective consumer competency as well as enhancing consumer competency through consumer education and practices. Consumers are expected to maximize their consumption life satisfaction via participating proper decision making processes based on the realistic perception of their actual consumer competency level.