Consumer as an individual

Session 5 Personality and consumer behaviour

What is personality? Inner psychological characteristics that both determine and reflect how a person responds to his or her environment

The nature of personality



Personality reflects individual differences Personality is consistent and enduring Personality can change under certain circumstances

Theories of personality (1)



Freudian theory:
 id, ego, superego  unconscious needs or drives are at the heart of

consumer motivation and personality  consumption behaviour seen as an extension and reflection of individual personality


Neo-freudian theory:
 Social relationships are fundamental to personality  People continuously try to establish rewarding

relationships with others  3 personality groups: Compliant, Aggressive, Detached (CAD test)

Add appealing to detached or nonconformist personality

Theories of personality (2)



Trait theory:
 Trait = any distinguishing, relatively enduring way in which one individual differs from another  Focus on the measurement of personality in terms of specific psychological characteristics  Trait theorists focus on construction of personality tests (single-trait personality tests are broadly used in marketing)

Personality traits and understanding of consumer diversity

Consumer innovativeness  Dogmatism
 high  low


Social character
 inner-directedness  other-directedness

   

Need for uniqueness (NFU) Optimum stimulation level Sensation seeking Variety novelty seeking
 Expolratorypurchase behaviour  Vicarious exploration  Use innovativeness

Consumer innovativeness measurement

Need for Uniqueness measurement scale

Cognitive personality factors



Need for cognition (NC): need for and enjoyment of thinking

 Low in NC  High in NC

 

Visualizers Verbalizers

Visualizers vs. Verbalizers

From materialism to compulsive consumption (1)



Consumer materialism
 People value acquiring and showing off posessions  Self-centered and selfinh  Seek lifestyle full of possesions  Their possessions do not give them greater personal satisfaction

Materialism measurement scale

Fixated and compulsive consumption behaviour



Fixated consumption behavior

 A deep/ passionate interest in a particular object/

category

 A willingness to make considerable effort to acquire

another example of product of interest

 The dedication of considerable amount of free time and

money to searching out the object or product

Compulsive consumption behaviour

 Abnormal behaviour, addictions (e.g. chocoholism)

Compulsive buying scale

Brand and product personality

  

Product personality and gender Product personality and geography Personality and color

Brand personality

Personality-like colour associations

Self and self-image (1)



One or multiple selves

 Social roles

Self image
 Actual self-image  Ideal self-image  Social self-image  Ideal-social self-image  Expected self  Ought-to self

Self and self-image (2)



The extended self

 Actually  Symbolically  Conferring status or rank  Bestowing feelings of immortality  Endowing with magical powers

 

Altering the self Virtual personality or self

Extended self survey

Ad appeailing to the new you or the altered self