4.

Personality and
Consumer
Behavior
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 Chapter Outline
Personality Theories
Cognitive Personality Factors
Product Personality
The Self and Self-Image

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 What Is Personality
The inner psychological characteristics
that both determine and reflect how a
person responds to his or her environment

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 The Nature of Personality
Personality reflects individual differences
Personality is consistent and enduring
Personality can change

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 Theories of Personality
Freudian theory
Unconscious needs or drives are at the
heart of human motivation
Neo-Freudian personality theory
Social relationships are fundamental to the
formation and development of personality
Trait theory
Quantitative approach to personality as a
set of psychological traits

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 Freudian Theory
Id
Warehouse of primitive or instinctual needs for
which individual seeks immediate satisfaction
Superego
Individuals internal expression of societys moral
and ethical codes of conduct
Ego
Individuals conscious control that balances the
demands of the id and superego

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Figure 5.2 A Representation of the
Interrelationships Among
the Id, Ego, and Superego

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Neo-Freudian Personality Theory
We seek goals to overcome feelings of inferiority
We continually attempt to establish relationships
with others to reduce tensions
Karen Horney was interested in child-parent
relationships and desires to conquer feelings of
anxiety. Proposed three personality groups
Compliant move toward others, they desire to be
loved, wanted, and appreciated
Aggressive move against others
Detached move away from others

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 Trait Theory
Personality theory with a focus on
psychological characteristics
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

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 Trait Theory
Consumer Innovators
And Noninnovators
Innovativeness The degree to which
Dogmatism consumers are
Social character receptive to new
products, new
Need for uniqueness services, or new
Optimum stimulation practices
level
Variety-novelty seeking
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 Trait Theory
Consumer Innovators
And Noninnovators
Innovativeness A personality trait that
Dogmatism reflects the degree of
Social character rigidity a person displays
toward the unfamiliar
Need for uniqueness and toward information
Optimum stimulation that is contrary to his or
level her own established
Variety-novelty seeking beliefs
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 Trait Theory
Consumer Innovators
And Noninnovators
Innovativeness Ranges on a continuum for
Dogmatism inner-directedness to other-
directedness
Social character
Inner-directedness
Need for uniqueness
rely on own values when
Optimum stimulation level evaluating products
Variety-novelty seeking Innovators
Other-directedness
look to others
less likely to be innovators
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 Trait Theory
Consumer Innovators
And Noninnovators
Innovativeness Consumers who
Dogmatism avoid appearing to
Social character conform to
expectations or
Need for uniqueness standards of others
Optimum stimulation
level
Variety-novelty seeking
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 Trait Theory
Consumer Innovators
And Noninnovators
Innovativeness A personality trait that
Dogmatism measures the level or
amount of novelty or
Social character
complexity that individuals
Need for uniqueness seek in their personal
Optimum stimulation level experiences
Variety-novelty seeking High OSL consumers tend
to accept risky and novel
products more readily than
low OSL consumers.
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 Trait Theory
Consumer Innovators
And Noninnovators
Innovativeness Measures a consumers
Dogmatism degree of variety seeking
Social character Examples include:
Exploratory Purchase
Need for uniqueness
Behavior
Optimum stimulation Use Innovativeness
level Vicarious Exploration
Variety-novelty seeking
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Cognitive Personality Factors
Need for cognition (NC)
A persons craving for enjoyment of
thinking
Individual with high NC more likely to
respond to ads rich in product information
Visualizers versus verbalizers
A persons preference for information
presented visually or verbally
Verbalizers prefer written information over
graphics and images.

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From Consumer Materialism
to Compulsive Consumption
Consumer materialism
The extent to which a person is considered
materialistic
Fixated consumption behavior
Consumers fixated on certain products or
categories of products
Compulsive consumption behavior
Addicted or out-of-control consumers

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 Consumer Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentric consumers feel it is wrong to

purchase foreign-made products
They can be targeted by stressing
nationalistic themes

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 Brand Personality
Personality-like traits associated with brands
Examples
Purdue and freshness
Nike and athlete
BMW is performance driven
Levis 501 jeans are dependable and rugged
Brand personality which is strong and favorable
will strengthen a brand but not necessarily
demand a price premium

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 Product Personality Issues
Gender
Often used for brand personalities
Some product perceived as masculine (coffee and
toothpaste) while others as feminine (bath soap and
shampoo)
Geography
Actual locations like Philadelphia cream cheese and Arizona
iced tea
Fictitious names also used such as Hidden Valley and Bear
Creek
Color
Color combinations in packaging and products denotes
personality

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 Self and Self-Image
Consumers have a variety of enduring
images of themselves
These images are associated with
personality in that individuals consumption
relates to self-image

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 The Marketing Concept
Issues Related to
Self and Self-Image
One or multiple A single consumer will
selves act differently in different
Makeup of the situations or with
self-image different people
We have a variety of
Extended self
social roles
Altering the self- Marketers can target
image products to a particular
self
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 The Marketing Concept
Issues Related to
Self and Self-Image
One or multiple Contains traits, skills, habits,
selves possessions, relationships and
Makeup of the self way of behavior
Developed through
-image
background, experience,and
Extended self
interaction with others
Altering the self- Consumers select products
image congruent with this image

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 The Marketing Concept
Issues Related to
Self and Self-Image
One or multiple Possessions can extend
selves self in a number of ways:
Actually
Makeup of the Symbolically
self-image Conferring status or rank
Extended self Bestowing feelings of
immortality
Altering the self- Endowing with magical
image powers

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 The Marketing Concept
Issues Related to
Self and Self-Image
One or multiple Consumers use self-
selves altering products to
Makeup of the express individualism by
Creating new self
self-image Maintaining the existing
Extended self self
Altering the self Extending the self
Conforming
-image

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