AKRAN ZORBALIĞININ MARKA TERCİHİ ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİNDE BENLİK SAYGISI VE ÖZ FARKINDALIĞIN DÜZENLEYİCİ ROLÜ

Year 2026, Volume: 19 Issue: 1, 71 - 96, 27.01.2026

Sefa Üstüner , Meltem Canoğlu

Abstract

Bu çalışma, akran zorbalığının genç tüketicilerin marka tercihleri üzerindeki etkisini, benlik saygısı ve öz farkındalık değişkenlerinin düzenleyici rolü çerçevesinde incelemektedir. Çalışmanın verileri, Osmaniye Korkut Ata Üniversitesi’nde öğrenim gören 325 öğrenciden çevrim içi anket yöntemiyle toplanmış; analizlerde yapısal eşitlik modeli ve Hayes PROCESS Model 1 kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, akran zorbalığının marka tercihi üzerinde pozitif ve anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca, benlik saygısının bu ilişkiyi anlamlı şekilde düzenlediği; özellikle benlik saygısı düşük gençlerin sosyal kabul görme amacıyla akran gruplarında öne çıkan markaları tercih ettiği belirlenmiştir. Buna karşın, öz farkındalığın düzenleyici etkisi istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmamıştır. Sonuçlar, genç tüketicilerin marka tercihlerinin yalnızca bireysel değerlendirmelerden değil, sosyal baskı ve grup dinamiklerinden de etkilendiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışmanın temel sınırlılığı, örneklemin tek bir üniversiteyle sınırlı olmasıdır. Buna rağmen çalışma, akran zorbalığı ve marka tercihi ilişkisini psikolojik değişkenlerle birlikte ele alarak literatüre özgün katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Genç Tüketiciler , Akran Zorbalığı , Benlik Saygısı , Öz Farkındalık , Marka Tercihi

THE MODERATING ROLE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND SELFAWARENESS IN THE EFFECT OF PEER BULLYING ON BRAND PREFERENCE

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of peer bullying on young consumers’ brand preference by considering the moderating roles of self-esteem and self-awareness. Data were collected from 325 students studying at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University through an online survey, and the analyses were conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Hayes’ PROCESS Model 1. The findings reveal that peer bullying has a positive and significant impact on brand preference. Moreover, self-esteem significantly moderates this relationship; specifically, young consumers with low self-esteem tend to prefer brands that are socially accepted within their peer groups as a strategy to gain approval and avoid social exclusion. In contrast, the moderating effect of self-awareness was not statistically significant. These results indicate that young consumers’ brand preferences are shaped not only by personal evaluations but also by social pressure and group dynamics. The main limitation of the study is that the sample is restricted to a single university. Nevertheless, the research provides an original contribution by addressing the relationship between peer bullying and brand preference together with psychological variables.

Keywords

Young Consumers , Peer Bullying , Self-Esteem , Self-Awareness , Brand Preference

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