Abstract: As a prevailing life circumstance, solitude often exerts complex effects on individuals' psychology and behavior, with these influences varying significantly based on underlying motivations. Particular attention should be paid to non-self-determined solitude—situations where individuals experience solitude in an involuntary state. Current research predominantly focuses on the negative impacts of this type of solitude, while exploration of its potential positive effects remains relatively scarce. Based on self-discrepancy theory and ego-depletion theory, this paper explores the double-edged sword effect and its boundary conditions of non-self-determined solitude on the preference for self-improvement products. Through three studies, the findings reveal that: on the one hand, non-self-determined solitude positively enhances the preference for self-improvement products by increasing self-discrepancy; on the other hand, it negatively suppresses the preference for self-improvement products by exacerbating ego-depletion. Additionally, the type of product spokesman (AI vs. real person) moderates the above effects: when the product spokesman is a real person, the enhancing effect of self-discrepancy is stronger; when the product spokesman is an AI, the suppressing effect of ego-depletion is stronger. The conclusions help people adopt a dialectical view of non-self-determined solitude and provide an important theoretical basis and practical implications for marketing practices of self-improvement products.

Key words: Non-self-determined Solitude, Self-improvement Consumption, AI Spokesman, Self-discrepancy, Ego-depletion

摘要： 独处作为一种普遍存在的生活情境,其对个体心理与行为的影响往往因动机不同而呈现出复杂性。尤其值得关注的是非自我决定独处,即个体在被动状态下所经历的独处情境。现有研究多聚焦于该类独处的消极影响,而对其潜在的积极效应探讨尚显不足。本文基于自我差异理论和自我耗竭理论,探讨非自我决定独处对自我提升类产品偏好的双刃剑效应。三项研究发现:一方面,非自我决定独处通过增强自我差异促进自我提升类产品偏好;另一方面,非自我决定独处通过加剧自我耗竭抑制自我提升类产品偏好。此外,产品代言人类型(AI vs. 真人)会调节上述效应:当产品代言人为真人时,自我差异的促进效应更强;当产品代言人为AI时,自我耗竭的抑制效应更强。研究结论有助于人们辩证地看待非自我决定独处,并为企业自我提升类产品的营销实践提供理论依据与实践启示。

关键词: 非自我决定独处, 自我提升消费, AI代言人, 自我差异, 自我耗竭