Abstract
M.A. (Communication)
The study firstly proposed that marketing communication be
approached within a social-psychological framework, where market related
information is subject to both internal (cognitive) and
external or social influences, specifically reference groups.
The concept of information seeking within this framework implies
that the consumer is actively involved in the interchange of
market-related information, and that he actively seeks
information relevant to his goals in the purchase situation. A
broad spectrum of literature on information seeking was
subsequently reviewed, which was then systemized according to the
nature and sources of information seeking. It was established
that normative social influence (which implies that the self concept
determines information seeking) is found to operate only
for informal personal sources and formal non-personal sources.
Further, it was stated that where social influence is normative,
it will impact only on consumer information seeking for social
products.
Based on this model, a number of propositions regarding the
nature and sources of consumer information seeking for social
products were formulated. These propositions formed the basis of
the empirical part of the study. Items drawing on the
propositions were incorporated into a Likert-type questionnaire
which was handed to a stratified random sample of student
consumers.