Personality and Consumer Behavior
The Nature of Personality
n Personality reflects individual differences
n Personality is consistent and enduring
n Personality can change
Theories of Personality
n Freudian theory
u Unconscious needs or drives are at the heart of human motivation
n Neo-Freudian personality theory
u Social relationships are fundamental to the formation and development of personality
n Trait theory
u Qualitative approach to personality as a set of psychological traits
Freudian Theory
n Id
u Warehouse of primitive or instinctual needs for which individual seeks immediate satisfaction
n Superego
u Individual’s internal expression of society’s moral and ethical codes of conduct
n Ego
u Individual’s conscious control that balances the demands of the id and superego
Freudian Theory and
“Product Personality”
n Consumer researchers using Freud’s personality theory to see consumer purchases as a reflection and extension of the consumer’s own personality
Horney’s CAD Theory
n Using the context of child-parent relationships, individuals can be classified into:
u Compliant individuals
u Aggressive individuals
u Detached individuals
Trait Theory
n Personality theory with a focus on psychological characteristics
n Trait – any distinguishing, relatively enduring way in which one individual differs from another
n Personality is linked to how consumers make their choices or to consumption of a broad product category – not a specific brand
Personality Traits and Consumer Innovators
n Innovativeness
n Dogmatism
n Social Character
n Need for uniqueness
n Optimum stimulation level
n Variety-novelty seeking
Dogmatism
n Consumers low in dogmatism (open-minded) are more likely to prefer innovative products to established or traditional alternatives
n Highly dogmatic consumers tend to be more receptive to ads for new products or services that contain an appeal from an authoritative figure
Social Character
Inner-Directed
n Consumers who tend to rely on their own inner values
n More likely to be innovators
n Tend to prefer ads that stress product features and benefits
Other-Directed
n Consumers who tend to look to others for direction
n Less likely to be innovators
n Tend to prefer ads that feature social acceptance
Cognitive Personality Factors
n Need for cognition
u A person’s craving for enjoyment of thinking
n Visualizers versus verbalizers
u A person’s preference for information presented visually or verbally
Need for Cognition (NC)
n Consumers high in NC are more likely to respond to ads rich in product-related information
n Consumers low in NC are more likely to be attracted to background or peripheral aspects of an ad
From Consumer Materialism to Compulsive Consumption
n Consumer materialism
u The extent to which a person is considered “materialistic”
n Fixed consumption behavior
u Consumers fixated on certain products or categories of products
n Compulsive consumption behavior
u “Addicted” or “out-of-control” consumers
Materialistic People
n Value acquiring and showing-off possessions
n Are particularly self-centered and selfish
n Seek lifestyles full of possessions
n Have many possessions that do not lead to greater happiness
Fixated Consumption Behavior
n Consumers have
u a deep interest in a particular object or product category
u a willingness to go to considerable lengths to secure items in the category of interest
u the dedication of a considerable amount of discretionary time and money to searching out the product
n Examples: collectors, hobbyists
Consumer Ethnocentrism
n Ethnocentric consumers feel it is wrong to purchase foreign-made products
n They can be targeted by stressing nationalistic themes
Brand Personality
n Personality-like traits associated with brands
n Volvo – safety
n Nike – the athlete
n BMW – performance
n Levi’s 501 – dependable and rugged
Different Self-Images
Ad Contemplates Consumer Self-Image