Abstract
M.Comm. (Investment Management)
It was postulated that the aim of consumer psychology as a science is to
create constructs which can serve as a framework according to which consumer
behaviour can be explained, predicted and influenced. The consumer
decision-making process approach proves to be the most comprehensive and
integrated approach to explain and predict consumer behaviour in terms of
the individualised consumer. A fundamental problem, however, is that, as a
result of their complexity and cognitive substructure, the models which have
been designed to express this approach cannot easily be verified in
practice. It was indicated that the model designed by Overton (1981)
provides a way out of this dilemma. On the one hand the model relates well
to existing consumer decision-making models, and on the other hand it is
extremely useful from the viewpoint of the marketer, since consumers can be
segmented according to two scales resulting from 'the model in terms of their
cognitive orientation towards prcxiJct purchasing in general. The two scales
were defined operationally as a rational and social consumer orientation
respectively. The aim of this study was to obtain more information about cognitive
consumer orientation. Contently, the study also aimed to promote
scientific unity by integrating cognitive consumer orientation theoretically
with field dependence and field independence, to provide a broader
classification system from which new hypotheses could be derived. It was
shOW1 that field independence and a rational consumer orientation both point
to autonomous and cognitive-analytical functioning. A social-interpersonal
disposition, on the other hand, underlies both field dependence and a social
consumer orientation. Hierarchically, the constructs were set out with
field dependence and field independence as the two general constructs, and
the social and rational consumer orientations as the two consumer-specific
constructs. The theoretical implications which the broader classification
system has for cognitive consumer orientation were spelled out; amongst
others, that it indicates that "field independent" could be substituted for
the troublesome term "rational" . It was also shown what implications
research of field dependence and field independence with regard to certain
biographical correlates has for cognitive consumer orientation in terms of
certain existing market segments. scenarios for certain demographic and
socia-economic market segments, as well as for the so-called black and white
consumer markets, were outlined.
Recently it was found that field dependence does not occupy a bipolar
position with regard to field independence in a•unitary construct, as has
been traditionally accepted, but that the two are independent constructs.
Consequently, the empirical study could be conducted more narrowly than the
literature study to which it refers. Cognitive consumer orientation was
also only tested in terms of cross-Cultural and gender differences…