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Consumer Personality

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Personality
The inner psychological characteristics that both determine and reflect how a person responds to his or her environment. Personality refers to a persons consistent ways of responding to the environment in which he or she lives Customer personality is a function of two factors: Genetic makeup Environmental conditioning Personality = Genetics x Environment

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The Nature of Personality

A person develops a pattern of behavioral responses because of the rewards and punishments offered by his or her environment .
Personality reflects individual differences. Personality is consistent and enduring. Personality can change.

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Freudian Theory
Given by Sigmund Freud. Human personality is driven by both conscious and unconscious motives Three divisions of the human psyche: id the basic source of inner energy directed at avoiding pain and obtaining pleasure and represents the unconscious drives and urges ego between the unconscious and impulsive desires of the id and the societal ideals internalized by the superego superego the moral side of the psyche, reflecting societal ideals

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Neo-Freudian Theories
Carl Jung: Analytical psychology Theory Disciple of Freud but did not accept Freuds emphasis on sexual aspects of personality Collective unconscious: A storehouse of memories inherited from our ancestral past Believed people are shaped by cumulative experiences of past generations Archetypes: Universally shared ideas and behavior patterns created by shared memories. For eg: Earth Mother, Harry Potter

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Trait Theory
Trait Theory: An approach to personality that focuses on the quantitative measurement of personality traits Personality Traits: Identifiable characteristics that define a person. Extroversion: Trait of being socially outgoing Extrovert: A person that possesses the trait of extroversion Introversion: Trait of being quiet and reserved Introvert: A person that possesses the trait of introversion

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Traits Specific to Consumer Behavior

Innovativeness (Need For Uniqueness):
The degree to which a person likes to try new things

Materialism:
Amount of emphasis placed on acquiring and owning products

Self-consciousness:
The degree to which a person deliberately monitors and controls the image of the self that is projected to others

Need for cognition:

The degree to which a person likes to think about things (i.e., expend the necessary effort to process brand information)

Frugality:
Deny short-term purchasing whims and resourcefully use what one already owns

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Innovativeness Need for Uniqueness

Consumers who avoid appearing to conform to expectations or standards of others.

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Optimum Stimulation Levels (OSL)

A personality trait that measures the level or amount of novelty or complexity that individuals seek in their personal experiences. High OSL consumers tend to accept risky and novel products more readily than low OSL consumers.

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Experimentation with appearance. Enhancement of individuality. Eg choices of vacations, FMCG Categories in biscuits, chocolates, etc. Sensation Seeking

A trait characterized by the need for varied, novel and complex sensations and experience and the willingness to take physical and social risks for the sake of such experience.

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VarietyNovelty Seeking

A personality trait similar to OSL, which measures a consumers degree to variety seeking Examples: Exploratory Purchase Behavior (switching brands to experience new, different and better alternative.) Use Innovativeness Vicarious Exploration (securing information about a new alternative and then day dreaming about the option)

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Cognitive Personality Factors

Need for cognition
A persons craving for enjoyment of thinking

Visualizers versus verbalizers

A persons preference for information presented visually or verbally

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Need for Cognition (NC)

Consumers high in NC are more likely to respond to ads rich in productrelated information Consumers low in NC are more likely to be attracted to background or peripheral aspects of an ad

Idiocentrism or Allocentrism
Idiocentrics:

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Individuals who have an individualist orientation

Allocentrics:
Individuals who have a group orientation

Differences between idiocentrics and allocentrics:

Contentment: Idiocentrics tend to be more content with life and their financial situation Health Consciousness: Allocentrics are more likely to avoid unhealthy foods Food preparation: Allocentrics spend more time preparing food Travel and Entertainment: Idiocentrics are more interested in traveling. Allocentrics are more likely to work on crafts.

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Social Character
Inner-Directed
Consumers who tend to rely on their own inner values More likely to be innovators Tend to prefer ads that stress product features and benefits

Other-Directed
Consumers who tend to look to others for direction. Less likely to be innovators. Tend to prefer ads that feature social acceptance.

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Trait or CAD Theory (Karen Horney)

Personality theory with a focus on psychological characteristics. Described people as moving toward others (compliant), away from others (detached), or against others (aggressive). Trait - any distinguishing, relatively enduring way in which one individual differs from another. Personality is linked to how consumers make their choices or to consumption of a broad product category - not a specific brand. Using the context of child-parent relationships, individuals can be classified into: Compliant individuals Aggressive individuals Detached individuals

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Compliant Personality

One who desires to be loved, wanted, and appreciated by others.

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Aggressive Personality

One who moves against others (e.g., competes with others, desires to excel and win admiration).

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Detached Personality

One who moves away from others (e.g., who desires independence, selfsufficiency, and freedom from obligations).

Classification of Personality Into Social Amity Business School Styles

RESPONSIVENESS LOW Analytical Slow reaction Maximum effort to organize Minimum concern for relationships Historical time frame Cautious action Tends to reject involvement Amiable Unhurried reaction Maximum effort to relate Minimum concern for effecting change Present time frame Supportive action Tends to reject conflict Driving Swift reaction Maximum effort to control Minimum concern for caution in relationships Present time frame Direct action Tends to reject inaction Expressive Rapid reaction Maximum effort to involve Minimum concern for routine Future time frame Impulsive action Tends to reject isolation HIGH RESPONSIVENESS

ASSERTIVENESS

LOW

HIGH

ASSERTIVENESS

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Problems with Trait Theory in CB

Explanations for the inability of traits to predict consumer behaviors in research: Scales which are not valid or reliable. Only describes enduring pattern of personality. Focus is on apparent behavior than typical behavior. Ad hoc changes to the measures dilute the validity of the measures Generalized trait measures used to make predictions about specific behaviors

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From Consumer Materialism to Compulsive Consumption

Consumer materialism
The extent to which a person is considered materialistic

Fixed consumption behavior

Consumers fixated on certain products or categories of products

Compulsive consumption behavior

Addicted or out-of-control consumers

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Fixated Consumption Behavior

Consumers have
a deep interest in a particular object or product category a willingness to go to considerable lengths to secure items in the category of interest the dedication of a considerable amount of discretionary time and money to searching out the product

Examples: collectors, hobbyists

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Compulsive Consumption Behavior

Consumers who are compulsive buyers have an addiction; in some respects, they are out of control and their actions may have damaging consequences to them and to those around them.