Discussion and Conclusions

Maladaptive consumption is ubiquitous because virtually any product can, in some circumstances and among some consumers, produce harmful outcomes. Indeed, such adverse outcomes may be the result of a consumer's deliberate use of a product to produce a negative outcome or a negative outcome may arise from the consequences of otherwise appropriate use. An understanding of maladaptive consumption, its causes, its consequences, and appropriate interventions and/or regulation requires a deep understanding of the interaction of the individual consumer, product characteristics, and usage context. The chapters in this volume have explored maladaptive consumption in a variety of specific contexts, highlighting problems with definition, measurement, and causal analysis. This concluding chapter provides a general summary of these issues and suggests that the marketing discipline has a unique perspective and set of theoretical and research tools that make it an especially useful lens through which to view maladaptive consumption.