Impact of Personality on Consumer Behavior - Research Paper

Introduction

Consumers behave differently depending on various factors. Consumer behavior is basically the study of the way in which individuals or organizations choose and use goods, ideas and services in a bid to satisfy their wants and needs (Haugtvedt 241). It mainly deals with the actions that consumers take and why they take them. The consumer has to make a choice. However, before they do so, they inadvertently go through the buying process. This process involves five steps which include recognizing that there is a need, searching for information, evaluating the choices, purchasing, and finally evaluating what has been purchased (Puccinelli 17). This means that the consumer has to begin by acknowledging that they need a certain product. After this, they have to get enough information on what is available and what they can afford. As soon as they get the information, the consumer evaluates the choices at their disposal and then decides to buy what they believe best fits them. After the purchase, they use the product and make an evaluation that will make them either to go for the same or a different product in the future. The consumer process, however, does not take place in isolation. It depends on many factors, one of which is personality. Personality mainly refers to the traits that include emotional patterns and behaviors of an individual which result from environmental, biological and psychological factors (Murphy 132). Personalities are different since individuals are exposed to a variety of factors. This paper looks at how personality affects consumer behavior. Personality qualities that affect consumer behavior include motivation, perception, attitude, the learning process, lifestyle, and the individual's value system. Although each consumer has a unique personality, there is a psychological explanation behind each choice they make.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

One of the major personality qualities that affect consumer behavior is motivation. Individuals are motivated differently depending on their personality. Motivation is a psychological reason behind a certain action or choice and it can be either intrinsic or extrinsic (Steel 896). Intrinsic motivation is internal and originates from the individual while extrinsic motivation is external and originates from the surrounding environment such as a cheering crowd, threats, rewards and competition (Steel 899). There are various theories of motivation. One of the widely recognized theories of motivation is the drive-reduction theory which proposes that individuals have certain drives whose strength is reduced as soon as these drives are satisfied (Murphy 130). If a consumer, for instance, needs a certain product to satisfy a certain need such as hunger, they will make a decision to go for it to reduce the drive. Another is the incentive theory which states that there is a reward for each behavior (Steel 901). A consumer will go for a certain product because it is fulfilling and rewarding. The other is the escape-seeking dichotomy model whose proponents suggest that individuals seek to break away from daily routines and seek opportunities to gain some new experiences (Murphy 133). A consumer may, for instance, decide to go on holiday to escape from the daily hustles and, at the same time, learn something new. Motivation, therefore, whether intrinsic or extrinsic affects consumer behavior since it plays a major role in the decisions that consumers make.

Another personality trait that affects consumer behavior is perception. Depending on personalities, people perceive various products, services, and ideas differently. Perception is a psychological concept that encompasses the way human beings recognize, organize and interpret information in the process of creating meaning out of it (Deaton 102). Marketers must establish the perception of consumers so as to know what to introduce into the market and how to do it so that the interpretation is right. A consumer goes for a product depending on how they perceive it. As soon as they get information about a certain good or service, they will first identify it before classifying it as part of their need. After this, the consumer interprets or tries to understand the product before they can make a purchase. If the perception is that the product does not fit in their category of needs and wants, they will forego it but if it does, they will go for it. In psychology, perception is said to be influenced by past experiences, attitudes, habits, preferences, expectations, and beliefs (Murphy 131). If, for instance, a consumer believes that candy causes stomach upsets due to past experiences, it will take a lot of time and energy to convince them otherwise. The marketer has to look for a way to ensure that this perception is altered for their benefit. This means that the perception process is a complex personality trait that marketers have to recognize due to its strong influence on consumer behavior.

Additionally, lifestyle influences consumer behavior to a certain extent. Lifestyle is a culture that defines the way of life of an individual (Mullen 37). Depending on an individual's lifestyle, their needs and wants vary. The psychology of consumerism classifies lifestyles under the most influential determinants of consumer behavior. The Black Box Theory of Behaviorism, for instance, suggests that there is a direct relationship between external stimuli and the behavioral response of an individual (Mullen 65). This means that the individual will behave in a certain way due to some external stimuli other than an internal one. Lifestyle, for instance, may not be a result of internal but external influencers such as peer pressure. Advertisers may take advantage of the situation to advertise their wares to consumers who want to adopt certain lifestyles. A consumer, for instance, who go for a convertible Mercedes instead of a Toyota Land cruiser will generally be out to make a statement about their lifestyle. Such a choice may have been made under the influence of peer pressure and advertising. The advertising company plans and processes the stimuli which may include promotion, product, and price with the aim of influencing the buyer. Subsequently, the buyer characteristics, which involves their lifestyle in this case, and purchasing decision process come into play in the process of responding to the advertisement (Puccinelli 21). This means that if there was no advertisement, there would be nothing to respond to thus no decision to buy although the response is mainly determined by the lifestyle of the consumer. Therefore, lifestyle is a major personality trait that influences consumer behavior.

Attitude also affects consumer behavior. Attitude is a psychological concept which refers to the way in which an individual evaluates ideas, objects, people, services and activities thus generating a positive or negative feeling about what is evaluated (Mullen 128). Since it is a hypothetical construct, attitude is difficult to measure but can be deduced from non-verbal communication cues and choice of words used by the individual (Deaton 73). Nevertheless, this evaluation affects consumer behavior. A consumer reacts in a certain way whenever a certain product or service is mentioned due to the attitude they have towards it. For example, a consumer who views a luxury vehicle as too expensive and unnecessary will have a negative attitude towards it thus is unlikely to buy it even if they have the money to do so. Attitudes are shaped by beliefs, culture, values, knowledge, and environment (Mullen 88). However, it is possible to change the attitude of consumers towards certain products and marketers often work very hard to do this. All the marketer needs to do is persuade the consumer to change the way they view a certain product or service. This can be done by ensuring their products are credible, trustworthy, attractive, and have a semblance of expertise. Some advertising agents even use celebrities in the adverts so as to create an impression that the product is worth a trial. Whatever the case, it is important to recognize that attitude is a personality quality that has a great impact on consumer behavior.

Learning is another psychological concept of personality that influences consumer behavior. From a psychological perspective, learning is defined as the process of acquiring new knowledge, values, skills, behaviors, and preferences or modifying the existing ones (Haugtved 245). Learning has a significant impact on consumer behavior. A consumer who, for example, learns that there is a new detergent in the market may decide to try it. If, after trying this new brand, they find that it is more effective than the one they have been using, they are less likely to revert to the previous one. This is as a result of acquiring new knowledge which now informs future actions. In marketing, advertisers often utilize the aspect of learning by educating the consumers on, for instance, how to use a certain product, so as to stimulate interest (Murphy 132). In the process of learning, the consumer synthesizes a wide range of information and this is the most important part of the process. The culmination of this process is the building up of a personality that aids in the making of various decisions. A consumer who has learned new preferences is likely to try something new thus decides to buy a certain product or service. It is important to note that learning is a continuous process that influences personality traits. As a result, it has a considerable impact on consumer behavior.

Individual moral standards or values also influence consumer behavior to a great extent. From a psychological point of view, values are the fundamental principles that motivate people to behave the way they do (Mullen 110). These fundamental principles are learned and acquired over time thus forming the beliefs and attitudes of an individual. The surrounding environment, religions, cultures, and family are the core contexts through which values are acquired (Deaton 283). Values then form personality which goes ahead to influence the way one behaves. Consumer behavior is determined by these values. If a consumer, for example, grows up in an environment that does not tolerate the taking of alcohol, they learn to believe that taking alcoholic drinks is immoral and unpardonable. This means that they value soberness and, therefore, will have a highly negative attitude towards the consumption of the beverage. This means that if they come across a variety of drinks being sold in a certain store, they will shun the alcohol and go for some other type of drink. No amount of advertising and persuasion may help change the attitude of this person since they are already deeply engrossed in what they consider their values. The values of an individual are difficult to change (Mullen 78). It is actually not easy to change the personality of a person who deeply believes in a certain aspect of life. However, the beliefs and attitudes can be modified so that the person gets a new way of looking at things. It is also important to note that values are important in making a purchasing decision that will leave the consumer satisfied. When all is said and done, it is clear that values influence personality which in turn has a significant impact on consumer behavior.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that personality influences consumer behavior in a very substantial manner. The personality traits that are unique to every consumer determine the purchasing behavior that they portray. The purchasing process entails the decisions made by the consumer right from the beginning. The consumer has to identify a basic need or luxury that they want to satisfy. After recognizing what they want, the consumer then gathers information that will help them decide on what to go for. They then evaluate the choices available in term...