Reid P. Claxton

Empirical relationships between need for cognition and cognitive style : implications for consumer psychology

Earlier research by Cacioppo and Petty has shown need for cognition scores to be related to the early conceptualization of cognitive style of Witkin, Dyk, Faterson, Goodenough, and Karp. For a sample of 69 female and 98 male undergraduate business students, the present study investigated relationships between need for cognition and cognitive style as measured by the sensing-intuiting and thinking-feeling components of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Need for cognition scores were statistically related to cognitive style. As hypothesized, subjects high on Intuiting-Thinking scored highest, and those scoring high on Intuiting-Feeling and Sensing-Thinking had intermediate scores. Subjects scoring high on Sensing-Feeling scored lowest. Five of six paired contrasts of need for cognition scores were significant. Market applications and implications for consumer psychology are discussed.

Cognitive Style as an Antecedent to Adaptiveness, Customer Orientation, and Self-Perceived Selling Performance

Data from 396 real estate salespeople offer structural model evidence of the antecedence of salesperson cognitive style (Jung, 1971) to adaptive selling behavior, and to sales orientation-customer orientation and self-perceived selling performance. Four hypotheses were supported: Salespeople who prefer information intake by intuiting (rather than sensing) and information processing/decision-making by thinking (rather than feeling) were found to be more likely to practice adaptive selling; the more adaptive selling was practiced, the greater customer orientation became; and the greater the customer orientation, the better the self-perceived selling performance. Implications exist for salesperson training, management, and motivation research.

Birth order as a market segmentation variable

Birth order studies have an established history in the academic world just as demographics have an established history in marketing. Discusses how birth order may influence several socio‐economic mechanisms and thereby influence select consumption behaviors. As a likely influence of certain consumption behaviors, birth order may be useful in segmenting certain markets. Offers a corporate advertising example to demonstrate the practical significance of investigating links among birth order, consumption, and market segmentation. Analysis of responses from 156 subjects who were shown the advertisement revealed birth order relationships. Few, if any, empirical studies currently link birth order, consumption, and segmentation, perhaps because of a priori convictions that such links do not exist. The time is at hand, however, to refute or confirm the existence of such links empirically. Offers five hypotheses for initiating research. Postulates characteristics of first borns, only children, middle borns and las...

Spouses' materialism: Effects of parenthood status, personality type, and sex

This study responds to a call for broadened conceptualizations of materialism and its role in self-definition (Richins & Dawson, 1992). Data from 202 spouses were analyzed for relationships among materialism, parenthood status, and personality type, defined as spousal “warmness” or “coolness” (Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton, 1981). Testable hypotheses were based on the concept of object-subject interchangeability (Claxton & Murray, 1994) as a mechanism of self-definition. The hypothesis was supported that cool spouses without children would have the highest materialism score. Total sample materialism scores were related to parenthood status and to several interactions among parenthood status, personality type, and sex of respondent. Analyzed by sex of respondent, mens materialism scores were related to parenthood status and to the interaction between parenthood status and personality type. Womens materialism scores were not related to any independent variables or interactions. Consumer policy implications are discussed.ZusammenfassungMaterialismus von Ehegatten: Effekte von Elternschaft, Persönlichkeitstyp und Geschlecht Die Studie reagiert auf die Forderung nach einer breiteren Konzeptualisierung der Materialismus-Variable und der Rolle von Materialismus bei der Selbst-Definition. Die Daten stammen von 202 Ehegatten und wurden auf die Beziehungen hin analysiert, die zwischen Materialismus, Elternschaft und Persönlichkeitstyp (definiert als eheliche WÄrme und eheliche Nüchternheit) bestehen. Die Hypothesen basieren auf dem Konzept der Objekt-Subjekt-Austauschbarkeit als Mechanismus der Selbst-Definition. BestÄtigt wurde die Hypothese, da\ nüchterne Ehegatten ohne Kinder den höchsten Materialismuswert haben. Insgesamt waren die Materialismuswerte abhÄngig von der Variable Elternschaft und von mehreren Wechselwirkungen zwischen Elternschaft, Persönlichkeitstyp und Geschlecht des Antwortenden. Eine geschlechtsspezifische Analyse zeigt, da\ die Materialismuswerte der MÄnner mit Elternschaft und mit der Wechselwirkung zwischen Elternschaft und Persönlichkeitstyp verbunden sind. Bei den Materialismuswerten der Frauen zeigte sich keine Beziehung zu einer der unabhÄngigen Variablen oder den Wechselwirkungen. Der Beitrag schlie\t mit einigen verbraucherpolitischen Implikationen.

Empirical relationships between birth order and two types of parental feedback

This study adapted the process feedback and outcome feedback scales of Jaworski and Maclnnis (1989) to investigate relationships between perceived parental feedback and birth order. A sample of 72 female and 80 male undergraduate business students was used. Firstborn/only children were hypothesized to report receiving more process feedback from parents, whereas last-borns were hypothesized to report receiving more outcome feedback. Results indicated that last-borns reported receiving significantly less of both types of feedback (process: p <.0029; outcome: p <.0009) than firstborns or middle children. No gender effects were found. Results thus suggest differential receipt of parental feedback as one possible basis for apparent birth order effects in societally recognized achievement.

Buyers’ Perceptions of Salesperson Tactical Approaches

At the strategic level, the role of the industrial salesperson has been described as managing a portfolio of different buyer– seller relationships. This study identifies specific sales tactics (i.e., customer-focused, competitor-focused, or productfocused) that support the development of these strategic relationships. Data gathered from a national sample of industrial buyers was used to examine the differential effects of three sets of selling techniques. These differences tend to be contingent on the buyers’ position within that firm. When a buyer occupies a higher level of authority within his or her firm, customer-focused approaches tend to garner higher responsiveness ratings.

Relationship of Birth Order and the Marketing-Related Variable of Materialism

The relationship between the birth order and materialism scores was investigated using materialism conceptualized as a consumer value. Data were collected from 275 alumni of a major southwestern university. The analysis indicated that firstborns in this sample scored significantly lower on materialism than younger siblings

EXPLORATORY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG COGNITIVE STYLE, VALUES, AND SELECTED CONSUMPTION BEHAVIORS

This study presents an exploratory structural model of relationships among dimensions of cognitive style, List of Values factors, and consumption activity factors. Analysis was based on questionnaire responses from 416 alumni of a major southwestern university The findings provide insight into how measurement of values may be modified to include individual personality differences; how values may relate to consumption behavior; and how personality differences may relate to both values and consumption behavior.

Birth Order and Need for Cognition in Marketing Entrepreneurship

Many researchers have profiled the typical entrepreneur as being firstborn. The present study investigated possible relationships between birth order and need for cognition scores as one reason for over-representation of firstborns among entrepreneurs. “Birth order” is rank by age among ones brothers and sisters. “Need for cognition” is the tendency to enjoy thinking and engage in it. Analysis of variance of responses from 33 female and 45 male university students indicated no statistically significant association between birth order and need for cognition scores. Implications for research and marketing to entrepreneurs are discussed.

Why Marketing Should Consider Birth Order an Important Factor in the Study of Entrepreneurship

A number of studies have profiled the “typical” entrepreneur as being a first born child (e. g., Greenfield 1989; Neider 1987; Themen et al. 1986). To date, however, little research by marketing academicians has been performed on links between birth order and entrepreneurship. While the literatures of psychology and sociology are comparatively rich with research on birth order and its effects, the topic remains substantially under-explored by marketing researchers. This apparent oversight is doubly unfortunate given marketing’s long-standing appreciation of the usefulness of other demographic factors in the study of major areas such as advertising, consumer behavior, promotion and sales.