1. Personality, Lifestyles, and the Self-Concept

2. Personality
Totality of thoughts, emotions, intentions, and behaviors that a person exhibits consistently as he or she adapts to his or her environment

3. Personality Qualities
Unique to an individual
Can be conceptualized as a combination of specific traits or characteristics
Traits are relatively stable and interact with situations to influence behavior
Specific behaviors can vary across time

4. Psychoanalytic Approach
Applicable to both motivation and personality inquiry
Id - Focuses on pleasure-seeking and immediate gratification
Superego - Works against the id by motivating behavior that matches societal norms and expectations
Ego - Focuses on resolving the conflicts between the id and the superego

5. Motivational Research Era
Researchers utilized tools such as depth interviews and focus groups to improve their understanding of inner motives and needs

6. Trait Approach to Personality
Trait - A distinguishable characteristic that describes one’s tendency to act in a relatively consistent manner
Multiple approaches available for consumer researchers

7. Multiple Approaches to Personality
Nomothetic perspective
Focuses on particular variables, or traits, that exist across a number of consumers
The trait approach takes a nomothetic approach to personality
Idiographic perspective
Focuses on the total person and the uniqueness of his or her psychological makeup

8. Multiple Approaches to Personality
Single-trait approach
The focus of the researcher is on one particular trait
Multiple-trait approach
Combinations of traits are examined and the total effect of the collection of traits is considered

9. Important Traits Studied
Value consciousness
Tendency for consumers to focus on maximizing what is received from a transaction as compared to what is given
Materialism
Extent to which material goods are important in a consumer’s life

10. Important Traits Studied
Innovativeness
Degree to which consumers are open to new ideas
How quickly consumers adopt to buying new products, services, or experiences early in their introduction
Need for cognition
Degree to which consumers tend to engage in effortful cognitive information processing

11. Important Traits Studied
Competitiveness
Defined as an enduring tendency to strive to be better than others
Self-monitoring
Tendency for consumers observe and control behavior in ways that agree with social cues and influence

12. Personology Approach Combines personality theory and motivation
Allows consumer researchers to better understand the uniqueness of the individual consumer
Combines information on traits, goals, and even consumer life stories

13. Lifestyles Ways consumers live and spend their time and money
Useful in identifying viable market segments

14. Psychographics Way consumer lifestyles are measured
Survey consumers using AIO statements
Used to gain an understanding of consumers’ activities, interests, and opinions

15. VALS Stands for “Values and Lifestyles” Classifies consumers into:
Eight distinct segments based on resources available to the consumer
Primary motivations

16. LO6-3

17. LO6-3

18. VALS
Survey Link

19. PRIZM Geodemographics
Stands for Potential Ratings Index by ZIP Market
People with similar backgrounds tend to live close to one another
Uses 66 different segments as descriptors of individual households

20. LO6-3
Demographics
Observable, statistical aspects of populations including such factors as age, gender, or income
Can be used in conjunction with psychographic analysis

21. Self-Concept
Totality of thoughts and feelings that an individual has about him or her self

22. Self-Concept According to a symbolic interactionism perspective
Consumers agree on the shared meaning of products and symbols
Semiotics - Study that relates to the symbolic interactionism
Study of symbols and their meanings

23. Self-Concept Cosmetic surgery and body modification
Body piercings and tattoos

24. Video