CB

Class 5-6

Consumer Motivation and

Personality
 Learning Objectives
3.1 To understand how motives, needs, and goals shape CB.
3.2 To understand the systems of classifying needs.
3.3 To understand the impact of hidden motives on CB.
3.4 To understand why and how consumers use technology.
3.5 To understand personality development.
3.6 To understand how personality traits shape CB.
3.7 To understand brand personification.
3.8 To understand the impact of self-image on CB.
Motivation & Emotion
Motivation:
The driving force within individuals that impels them to act.
– Is the underlying basis of all behavior.
– Individuals are driven to satisfy their needs, wants,
and desires.
Emotion:
Emotion (or emotional and affective responses) is a
person’s affect—feelings and moods—plus arousal

Motivations and emotions are linked: consumers feel

positive emotions when motivations are satisfied and
negative emotions when motivations are not satisfied
Arousal and attention
• Arousal, a state of physical wakefulness or alertness, also influences
consumers’ attention.

Relationship between physical arousal and attention

What Drives Motivation?

• Needs are desires that arise when a consumer’s

current state does not match the consumer’s
preferred state.

• Motivation begins when a person feels a need

that requires satisfaction.
Needs, Wants & Opportunities

Want-Got gap
• Discrepancy or difference or Gap between what the
consumer wants the situation (desired state) to be and
what the situation really is (actual state).
• This GAP triggers problem recognition in the consumer
Needs, Wants & Opportunities
Needs and Goals

• Needs
– Physiological or Biogenic
– Psychological or Psychogenic
– Cognitive

• Goals are the sought-after results of motivated behavior.

In the context of CB.
– Buyers’ actions are driven by two sets of goals:
▪ Generic
▪ Product-specific
The Motivation Process
 The Motivation Process: Why Ask Why?

• Motivation
– Utilitarian: From a desire to achieve some functional or
practical benefit
– Hedonic: Hedonic needs are subjective, experiential;
products to meet needs for excitement, self-confidence, or
fantasy, escape the mundane or routine aspects of life
• Goal
• Incidental brand exposure
Motivational Strength
• Drive Theory
– Drive theory focuses on biological needs that produce
unpleasant states of arousal.
– Homeostasis : The arousal this tension causes
motivates us to reduce it and return to a balanced state
called homeostasis.
– Retail Therapy
• Expectancy Theory
– The expectation of achieving desirable outcomes
rather than being pushed from within motivates
behaviour
– Placebo effect
Motivational Direction
• Motivations also influence the direction of behavior to
select goals:
– Approach: movement towards a desired object or
outcome,
and
– Avoidance, or movement away from an undesired
object or outcome.

• Needs Versus Wants

– Utilitarian vs. Hedonic
– Productivity orientation
Motivational Conflicts

• Theory of cognitive dissonance

Impact of Motivation
• Motivations focus attention by producing:
– Valuation effect
and
– Devaluation effect.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Validity and Applications (Maslow’s Theory)

• Major problem: cannot be tested empirically

• Western culture; other societies rank needs differently
• Goods and services satisfy each need level
• Different appeals for the same product can be based on
different needs
Theories of Motivation

• Self-determination theory
– Builds on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
– Distinguishes between
▪ intrinsic motivation and
▪ extrinsic motivation
– intrinsic motivation is highest when autonomy,
belongingness, and competence (the ABCs of self-
determination) are high.
– People are usually more creative, hard-working, and
more fulfilled and happy when they pursue intrinsic
goals rather than extrinsic goals
Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation

• Intrinsic motivation occurs when a person pulls from their own inherent
drives
• Extrinsic motivation occurs when a person is pushed by an external
force
• Metamotivation refers to people’s understanding of their own personal
motivational states and the best ways to motivate themselves
Theories of Motivation
• Trio of Needs:
– Simplified version of Maslow’s theory,
– Three key elements particularly important for
consumer behavior
▪ Need for power
▪ Need for affiliation
▪ Need for achievement
Theories of Motivation
• Trio of Needs:
– Simplified version of Maslow’s theory,
– Three key elements particularly important for
consumer behavior
▪ Need for power
▪ Need for affiliation
▪ Need for achievement
Theories of Motivation

Murray’s psychogenic needs

• Set of 20 psychogenic needs that result in specific
behaviours
• Autonomy, defendence, play, affiliation
• Basis of the TAT test
 Theories of Motivation

• Attitude function theory

– describes four major types of attitudes
▪ Attitudes serving knowledge function summarize large
amounts of information to simplify the world and help
consumers make decisions.
▪ Attitudes that serve the value-expressive function
communicate important beliefs to others and help consumers
interact with each other effectively
▪ Attitudes that serve the ego-defensive function help
consumers feel safe and secure and good about themselves
▪ Attitudes that serve the adjustment function help
consumers approach pleasure and avoid pain efficiently
Attitude Function Theory
 Theories of Motivation

• Balance theory:
– Focuses on the degree of consistency among three
elements:
▪ p, the person or consumer who receives a
persuasive message
▪ o, the other person (e.g., a friend, salesperson, or
spokesperson) who recommends a particular
product or service
▪ x, a stimulus such as a particular product or
service
Balance Theory You
p

M.S. Dhoni Harley

o Davidson
x
Imbalance exists if you like Dhoni (p likes o), Dhoni endorses Harley
Davidson (o likes x), and you dislike Harley (p dislikes x). There are
three ways that you can bring about balance to this triad:
1. change your attitude
2. deny the relationship
3. differentiate the relationships
 Theories of Motivation
• Cognitive Dissonance theory:
– Most people assume that attitudes influence behavior,
but behavior can also influence attitudes
– Consumers strive for consonance, or consistency
between a specific behavior and an attitude related to
that behavior.
– Dissonance, or behavior-attitude inconsistency
produces an unpleasant tension, referred to as
dissonance arousal.
▪ When it occurs, people are motivated to reduce the
dissonance by changing their attitude to match the behavior
that was performed.
– Shift in attitude that increases behavior-attitude
consistency is known as the dissonance effect.
Discrepancy-interruption theory

• Discrepancies or surprises and interruptions or

unexpected events that prevent us from pursuing
a goal that we are currently trying to achieve also
increase arousal and emotion.
– Discrepancies and Interruptions increase arousal and
require immediate attention.
– Small discrepancies or small surprises produce
positive emotions because they are usually mildly
interesting and thought-provoking.
– large discrepancies or big surprises usually produce
negative emotions because they suggest that our
current expectations are completely wrong
Excitation Transfer theory
Since consumers are bad at interpreting their emotional
states, the excitation or arousal produced by one stimulus
(e.g., exciting media events, exercise, stimulants,
discrepancies, interruptions) can transfer or spillover to
other stimuli.
• Excitation transfer theory rests on four key principles of
emotion:
– 1. Arousal is non-specific with respect to emotion (i.e., arousal
intensifies both positive and negative emotions)
– 2. People are insensitive to small changes in arousal
– 3. People often look for a single cause for their arousal, even
when there are multiple causes
– 4. Physiological arousal dissipates at a slower rate than
perceived arousal
Excitation Transfer theory
Selecting Goals
• Factors
– personal experiences and knowledge
– physical capacity
– cultural norms and values
– goal accessibility
Factors That Motivate Shopping

• Seeking specific goods

• Recreational shopping
• Activity-specific shopping
• Demand-specific shopping
Cannot Attain Goals?

• Substitute goals
• Frustration
• Defense mechanisms
Frustration and Defense Mechanisms

Frustration is the feeling that results from failure to

achieve a goal, and defense mechanisms are cognitive
and behavioral ways to handle frustration.
Defense Mechanisms

• Aggression
• Rationalization
• Regression
• Projection
• Daydreaming
• Identification
• Withdrawal
Learning Objective

To understand the impact of hidden motives.

– Motivation research,
– Behavioral science,
– Interpretivism
Motivational Research
Motivational Research was first used by Dr. Ernest Dichter
in the 1950s and 1960s, using qualitative studies involving
“in-depth interviews”. These were designed to uncover
consumers’ subconscious or hidden motivations in the
context of buying and consumption.
Examples of his insights:
– Cigarettes – sexual symbolism
– Convertible cars – surrogate mistresses
– Baking cakes – reproductive yearnings
Behavioural Science
• Behavioral science applies the scientific method, relying
on systematic, rigorous procedures to explain, control,
and predict CB.
– Quantitative research methods
– Qualitative research methods
▪ Interpretivism or Postmodernism
–Descriptive, non-empirical data are collected that describe an
individual consumer’s subjective experience with the product or
service
–Results cannot be generalized (since representative samples
not surveyed)
–Provide in-depth, detail-rich descriptions of consumers’
experiences
Scientific Method / Research
1. Observe and ask the question: Observations we make of the world around
us are the basis for formulating questions or problems we want to solve

2. Form a hypothesis and make a prediction: When a question or problem

emerges from observation, we generate a potential explanation called a
hypothesis that may provide the answer.

3. Test the hypothesis: We test our hypotheses under controlled conditions,

including testing only one hypothesis at a time and limiting the
circumstances/ environment of the testing to see if our predictions are
correct.

4. Theory generation: If a hypothesis is confirmed via testing and re-testing,

we generate a theory, which is a general answer to our original question.
Scientific Method for Research
Primary Data Collection Methods
• Primary Data Collection Methods: A set of methods that
enable researchers to “get inside the mind of the
consumer” through primary data.
• There is no one perfect primary research method.
• Each has strengths and weaknesses,

• Four common primary research methods:

– 1. Observation
– 2. Direct questioning
– 3. Experimentation
– 4. Projective techniques
Projective Techniques

• Projective techniques
• Storytelling
• Sentence Completion
• Thematic Apperception Test
• Picture Drawing
• Photo Sorts
Learning Objective

3.5 To understand personality development.

Personality
• Personality consists of the inner psychological characteristics that
determine and reflect how one thinks and acts
• These are unique traits, qualities, attributes, mannerisms that
differentiate one person from another
– Personalities reflect an individual’s uniqueness
– Personality is relatively consistent and enduring
▪ However, even though personality is enduring, it may change
• Heredity and early childhood experiences?
• Social and environmental influences?
• Personality traits is associated with CB since it is useful in
development of market segmentation and promotional strategies
Three Approaches to Personality

• Freudian concepts
• Neo-Freudian premises
• Measuring distinct traits
Freudian Theory
Non Freudian Theories

Karen Horney’s Personality Groups

– Compliant individuals
– Aggressive individuals
– Detached individuals

CAD Measurement
– The C A D scale measures the extent to which
individuals are Compliant, Aggressive, and Detached
 Non Freudian Theories
• Multiple trait theory or Trait theory maintains that personality traits
represent consumers’ tendencies to respond in a certain way across
similar situations when in receipt of stimuli from the environment. It
focuses on quantitative measures of these specific psychological
characteristics.

• The Big 5 model of personality is the most widely used trait theory first
theorized by Tupes & Christal, (1961)
– Big Five Personality traits: O C E A N
▪ Openness: related to curiosity, broad-mindedness, creativity,
imagination and intelligence.
▪ Conscientiousness: related to being organized, disciplined,
determined, dedicated, persevering and achievement oriented.
▪ Extraversion: related to outgoing, positive energy toward others
and expressiveness.
▪ Agreeableness: related to compassion, generosity, and
cooperation
▪ Neuroticism: related to anxiety, aggression, depression, anger
and, generally, insecurity.
Five Factor Model of Personality
Five Factor Model of Personality
Non Freudian Theories

Other Traits
• Researchers also use single trait personality tests.
• Some measured traits can be:
– Innovativeness: how receptive a person is to new ideas,
experiences etc
– Ethnocentrism: person’s likelihood to purchase foreign mode
goods/services
– Materialism: degree of a person’s attachment to worldly goods
– Inner vs. outer directedness: how much a person relies on own
inner values or standards in evaluating new products
Learning Objective

To understand how personality traits shape CB.

Personality Traits
• Innovators or laggards
• Close-minded vs. Open-minded (Dogmatism)
• Conformity vs. Individuality (Inner- vs. Other-directed); Need for uniqueness
High Need for Uniqueness
• When I travel, I’m always seeking out unusual gifts for myself.
• I’m happy when other people tell me that my taste is ”different” and
”uncommon.”
• I work at maintaining my own unique persona.
• Some of my acquaintances think I’m somewhat of a weirdo in my seeking to
be different.
• Standing out and being different is important to me.
• I stop buying brands when everyone starts to buy them.
• Being different is my own personal trademark.
Other Personality Factors
• Optimum stimulation level (OSL)
• Sensation seeking, Novelty seeking
• Need for Cognition, Need for Humour, Need for Cognitive Closure
• Visualizers vs . Verbalizers
er us

• Materialism
• Compulsions and Fixations
• Ethnocentrism
Brand Personification
Product and brand personifications: occurs when
consumers attribute human traits or characteristics ie. A
form of anthropomorphism
Brand Personality provides an emotional identity for the
brand, which produces sentiments and feelings toward it
among consumers
– Promotional messages (among all elements of the
marketing mix) have the greatest influence in
creating a brand personality.
Brand Personality
• Underlying 5 dimensions of brand
personality
– Excitement: Modern, imaginative,
innovative
– Sincerity: Honest, wholesome, Likeable and
personable
– Competence: Reliable, proficient, credible
– Ruggedness: Outdoorsy, tough
– Sophistication: Associated with social
status and trendy
 Self-Perception
CB researchers identified four components of self-image:
1. Actual self-image is the way consumers see themselves;
2. Ideal self-image is how consumers would like to see themselves;
3. Social self-image is how consumers feel others see them; and
4. Ideal social self-image is how consumers would like others to see them.
Extended Self: Consumers’ possessions can confirm or extend their
self-images
– Symbolically, by making oneself feel better (e.g., being considered the
“best dressed” at work)
– Conferring status or rank, for example, being an art collector and owning
a rare and well-known masterpiece
– Feelings of immortality by leaving inheritances after death
Altering the Self
How Social Media Tap into Our Emotions
• Happiness economy
• Sentiment analysis
• Word-phrase dictionary
Learning Objective
The way we evaluate and choose a product depends on our
degree of involvement with the product, the marketing
message, or the purchase situation.
Consumer Involvement
• Involvement
• Inertia
• Cult products
Conceptualizing Involvement
Measuring Involvement
Table 5.1 A Scale to Measure Involvement
Types of Involvement
• Product: Product involvement is a consumer’s level of
interest in a particular product.
– Product decisions are likely to be highly involving if the
consumer believes there is perceived risk.
• Message: Message involvement refers to the influence
media vehicles have on the consumers.
– Print is a high-involvement medium while television
tends to be considered a low-involvement medium.
• Situational: Situational involvement takes place with a
store, website, or a location where people consume a
product or service.
– One way to increase this kind of involvement is to
personalize the messages shoppers receive at the time
of purchase.
Product Involvement
• Perceived risk
• Mass customization
• Brand loyalty
• Variety seeking
Strategies to Increase Product
Involvement
• Mass customization
• DIY
• Co-creation
• Gamification
Message Involvement
• Alternate reality games
• Narrative transportation
Strategies to Increase Message
Involvement
• Use novel stimuli, such as unusual cinematography,
sudden silences, or unexpected movements
• Use prominent stimuli, such as loud music and fast action,
to capture attention
• Include celebrity endorsers
• Invent new media platforms to grab attention
• Encourage viewers to think about actually using the
product
• Create spectacles where the message is itself a form of
entertainment
Five Types of Perceived Risk
• Monetary risk
• Functional risk
• Physical risk
• Social risk
• Psychological risk
Five Types of Perceived Risk
END