SELF- CONCEPT

 Holds that an individual have a concept of self

based on who they think they are (the actual
self) and a concept of who they think, they
would like to be (the ideal self)
 Related to Ego and Super-ego

 Ego is one’s objective reality – Actual self

 Super Ego defined by how the things should be

– reflection of ideal self
SELF CONCEPT – SELF ESTEEM

 Self –esteem
Global evaluative dimension of the self
Same as self worth or Image

 Self Concept
Domain specific evaluation of the self

 Both are not inter-changeble

SELF CONCEPT ASSUMPTIONS:
 Self concept is a value to the individual and
behaviour will be directed towards protection and
enhancement of self-concept
 The purchase, the display and use of goods
communicates symbolic meaning to the
individual and to others
 The consuming behaviour of an individual will be
directed to enhancing self-concept through
consumption of goods as symbols
 Publicly consumed goods: influenced more by
ideal self image
 Privately consumed goods: influenced more by
actual self image
SELF CONCEPTUAL MODEL
 Individuals develop self-concepts and subsequent
life styles based on variety of internal and external
influence
 Self concepts and life styles produce needs and
desires
 Each us have a view of ourselfs

 Needs & desires leads to consumption

 Then decision process activated

 This model is simple, conceptually sound and

intuitively appealing
 View of our-selves and the way we live determined
by internal and external factors
CONTINUED…….
 Internal Factors:
 Perception, Personality, values, emotions,
memory, learning, Motives, attitudes etc
 Internal Factors:
 Culture, Demographics, Social Status, age, friends,
family, sub-culture, emotions, attitudes, etc
 The way we try to live will bring in multitude of
situation we encounter today
 These situations will cause us to consider purchase
to live the way we want
 Our decisions or process of making it, will cause
LEARING
 LEARNING affect our internal & external factors
 This in result will change or reinforce our current
Self-concept and life style
External Decision process
Factors situations:
1. Problem
recognition
2. Information
Self – Needs search
concept
3. Alternative
And
Life Style evaluation
Desires and selection
Internal 4. Outlet
Factors selection and
purchase
5. Post
purchase
processes
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

 External and Internal factors are inter related

 Ex: Learning is an internal factor but influenced

by External factors like family, culture, etc

 External includes
- Macro group like Soceity & culture
- Micro group like Family
INTERNAL INFLUENCES

 It begins with Perception

 Receive and assign meaning to Stimuli

 Followed by Learning – change in structure of

long term memory
 Motivation - reasons for the behaviour

 Personality – an individual characteristic

response tendencies across similar situations
 Emotion – strong, relatively uncontrolled feelings
that affects our behaviour
 Attitude – enduring organisation of motivational,
emotional, perceptual and cognitive processes
WRT aspects of environment
SELF-CONCEPT AND LIFE STYLE
 As a result of interaction b/w internal & external
factors individuals develop Self-concept
 Self concept is reflected in the Life-style

 Life style is how a person lives

 Ex: product he purchase, use, perception, etc

 It’s sum of person’s past decisions and future

plans
 Individuals and families can exhibit distinct
lifestyles
 LS determined by conscious & unconscious
decisions
 Decisions taken with awareness will affect LS
CONTINUED…..
 We are unaware about the extent to which our
LS influences Decisions/choices

 But consumer doesn’t consciously think of LS

while buying

 We make decisions consistent with LS with

actually considering it.

 This is Low involvement decisions

 Feeling and emotions are important

SITUATIONS AND CONSUMER DECISIONS

 Consumer decisions results from Perceived

problems and opportunities
( Problem is both problem and opportunity)

 Problems arises in specific situations – Nature of

situation influences resulting behaviour