iPod Separation Anxiety Is Real

Mike Elgan (7:58 am PDT, Nov 06 2010)

A study conducted at the USC Marshall School of Business found that attachment to brands like the iPod “can even be strong enough to induce separation anxiety when… replaced” by another brand, according to the university’s press release.

To test their hypothesis, researchers used three completely different consumer products, and one of them was the Apple iPod. Attachment to some brands can be so strong that “consumers are willing to sacrifice time, money, energy and reputation to maintain their attachment to that brand.”

The researchers determined that “the greater the attachment, the greater sacrifices a consumer will make to connect with or remain connected to the brand.”

To determine brand attachment to the iPod, researchers asked subjects the following questions:

“To what extent is iPod part of you and who you are?”
“To what extent do you feel personally connected to the iPod?”
“To what extent are your thoughts and feelings toward iPod often automatic, coming to mind seemingly on their own?”
“To what extent do your thoughts and feelings toward iPod come to your naturally and instantly?”
“To what extent would you be distressed if the iPod was discontinued?”

“To what extent is it difficult to imagine life without the iPod?”

Personally, I think it’s absurd to be this attached to an iPod, given that I have an iPhone 4.

Here’s the study report in PDF format.

DON'T MISS
iPod Touch Becoming Youthful Pathway to iPhone

Apps you might like

6 comments »

http://www.scottdot.com scottdot
It’s rather absurd to think about this level of attachment, but the fact that this is targeted at just iPod users (and oatmeal). People could also be very attached to their BlackBerry, a particular painting by a favorite artist, or their Starbucks mochachinolattethingamadrink…
Practice disconnect, people! Drop unhealthy obsessions. When leaving for dinner last night, I contemplated taking my iPod, reached for it, and thought “This will get in the way of real human interaction and conversation.” Leave your gear at home!
Terry Bitner, New York
How can you even write about stuff like this? Just thinking of it…BRRR!. Stop! Have some feelings for your readers, I don’t need this kind of stress for your evil though experiment.
Donnie
So Mike Elgan things it’s absurd to be attached to an iPod since he has an iPhone that has an iPod built in? I have an iPhone and it’s like the umbilical cord in my mother’s womb. I also have an iPod classic that I’m equally attached to. I simply use these two devices for different things. There is no music on my iPhone. All the music (and I do mean ALL the music) is on the iPod classic ripped from CDs in glorious Apple Lossless format (however you define glorious, but it sounds better than AAC), which I use mostly in my car.
But when I get the feeling that I don’t know where either of these two devices are….. you know that feeling that parents get when they turn their back for two seconds and their kid disappears? It’s kind of like that.
http://ObamaPacman.com ObamaPacman
Perhaps it’s more about no other brand comes close in terms of usability?
maurice
come on, bitcha, that last line was nos necesary, it made you and your work lose all respect
Barbara
I have an unfortunate attachment to Ford. My dad managed a Ford tech shop for more than 20 years and we always drove the latest Mustang. So despite the waning quality of the product, I’m still buying them. And don’t get me started on my iPod. I was almost in tears when my Mom cleaned my house and put it in a “safe” spot where I couldn’t find it. I was shocked at my own Gollum-like reaction, but now I have a specific iPod space on my desk so that she can’t get lost again.

About the author

Mike Elgan is a Silicon Valley-based columnist who writes about technology and culture. His work appears in a variety of publications, including Computerworld, Datamation, PC World, InfoWorld, MacWorld, ITWorld, CIO, the San Francisco Chronicle. Subscribe to Mike's e-mail newsletter, Mike's List, and follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Digg and elsewhere by visiting http://elgan.com.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)| Read more posts by Mike Elgan.

Posted in iPod, Top stories |