Sequential segmentation on the basis of consistencies in cognitive style will permit the precise targeting of marketing strategy. While Adler stressed the uniqueness of each individual, he nonetheless recognized similarities among individuals and their lifestyles (Ansbacher 1976. p. 192), suggesting the existence of lifestyle typologies (Ansbacher 1967, p. 203). While (perhaps inadvertently restricting the term lifestyle to "the totality of behavior," Ansbacher concludes that "the broad range of life style includes cognitive style and response style" (Emphasis added, 1967, p. 203). Restricting the definition of lifestyle to characteristic patterns of overt behavior underscores the intuitive, if imperfect, symmetrical reciprocity between cognitive style and lifestyle. No approach is sacrosanct, yet some distinction in terms would allow for more productive advancement in lifestyle research and, equally importantly, in lifestyle segmentation. By narrowing the definition of lifestyle to consistencies in overt behavior, marketing management will avoid the trap of too narrowly defining market segments and underestimating market potentials implicit in the conventional definition of lifestyle. Bell (1958) stressed the symbolic contextual significance of consumption. 345-355). In the above case, although exhibiting parallel search, shopping, or consumption behavior, one consumer would be excluded from the lifestyle characterizing the other two on the basis of contrasting cognitive style. There is a serious internal inconsistency in this definition, and others like it, which in turn implies major operational inconsistencies. There is a serious internal inconsistency in this definition, and others like it, which in turn implies major operational inconsistencies. The median age in Austin is 5% lower than Texas. This has proven both a convenience and a "Catch-29" for market analysts. Both cognitive style and lifestyle are influenced by enabling conditions, which lie in the context of environmental constraints and opportunities. One final note: It would be erroneous to construe a plea for simplicity in the interpretation of lifestyle as an indictment of the legitimacy of psychographic research. Levy, Sidney J. Beverlee B. Anderson, Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, 498. How to use psychographics in marketing. While the term lifestyle has gained popular currency, it continues to defy definitional and operational consensus. Rather, Adler's interpretation is relegated to the realm of psychographics or cognitive style. Substantial evidence points to a consistent positive relationship between cognitive processes and properties (cognitive style) and overt behavior (Lair 1965; Fencrich 1967; Udel 1965; Katona 1960, part II; Axelrod 1968). Life-style is a systems concept. P. 130). J. Arndt, New York: Allyn and Bacon, 85-100. ", Journal of Marketing, vol. 226, University of Illinois at Urbana. Kotler, Philip (1980), Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Restricting the definition of lifestyle to characteristic patterns of overt behavior underscores the intuitive, if imperfect, symmetrical reciprocity between cognitive style and lifestyle. Consumer analysts and market practitioners are interested in values, attitudes, beliefs, opinions and interests to the extent that they augment predictions of overt behavior, particularly search, shopping and consumption behavior, or permit pin-point targeting of marketing strategy. FIGURE 2 SEQUENTIAL SEGMENTATION: LIFESTYLE AND COGNITIVE STYLE It is rare in the social sciences to cop a plea for simplicity. #3(Winter), 235-256. In Austin 6.82% of the population is Asian. (1963), "Discussion," in Toward Scientific Marketing, ed. They came together because "life style" seemed to be such an appropriate shorthand expression for what the activity, interest and opinion research was attempting to portray. 200-201). Psychographics: Analysis of consumer lifestyles to create a detailed customer profile. Festinger, Leon (1964), "Behavioral Support for Opinion Change," Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. In short, the lifestyle concept has become the Rorschach of the social sciences, most particularly of consumer analysis. The lifestyle concept, partly because of its intuitively appealing and rather obvious relationship to consumer behavior, has received a considerable amount of attention in the marketing literature. The term "life style"suggests a patterned way of life into which [people] fit various products, events or resources. Lifestyle is an integrated system of attitudes, values, opinions and interests as well as overt behavior (p 497). Michael Gibbert, Universit della Svizzera Italiana, Esther Doriette Tamara Jaspers, Massey University 200-201). A persistent thread through the marketing literature is the notion that lifestyle involves characteristic patterns of behavior (Andreasen 1967; Bernay 1971; Lazer 1963; Moore 1963; Myers and Gutman 1974). Wells, William D. (1975,), "Comment on the Meaning of LifeStyle," in Advances in Consumer Research, ed. LaPiere's (1934) classic study of racial prejudice in 1934 inaugurated a series of investigations and reviews reporting negative relationships between attitudes and behavior (Festinger 1966). Fencrich, J. M. (1967), "A Study of the Association Among Verbal Attitudes, Commitment, and Overt Behavior in Different Experimental Conditions," Social Forces, vol. Lifestyle formed the centerpiece of Adlerian psychology; indeed, Adler wrestled with the concept for forty years. Thus, conceptually lifestyle is today generally defined to encompass both characteristic patterns of overt behavior and cognitive processes and properties, including such dimensions of personality as values, attitudes, opinions, and interests. Actions," Social Forces, vol. While knowledge of cognitive processes and properties may improve, understanding and predictions of overt behavior, and facilitate formulation of marketing strategy, the relationship is equivocal and imperfect, as recent research has demonstrated. Complete List of All Publishers See Link to Nation newspaper story - Sealy: This lets us find the most appropriate writer for Our global writing staff includes experienced ENL & ESL academic writers in a variety of disciplines. Get the most of the growing demand in cybersecurity with UT Austin's program. Income. Stephen A. Greyser, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 130-139. Effective use of sequential segmentation requires clarification and differentiation of terms, consistent with contemporary consumer research findings on the relationship between cognitive processes and properties and overt behavior. This is admittedly narrow as defining lifestyle as overt behavior does not allow for the broad, psychological Adlerian perspective of lifestyle. WebPsychographics: Jason$is$into$ athle2c,$outdoor$ac2vi2es,$the$ latesttechnology$and$nightlife$DD$ especially$live$entertainment.$ Thus, the lifestyle concept has varied widely in content and in range in the social sciences, according to the unit of analysis or the analyst (Ansbacher 1976, p. 203). The almost total absence of any theoretical anchorage for lifestyle research is evidence in Exhibit 1 and also in the superficial and flimsy development of theoretical linkages to lifestyle where a theoretical frame of reference is invoked. Hence, any given lifestyle segment would likely consist of subsegments consisting of consumers with common cognitive processes and properties or cognitive style (see Figure 2). Analysts continue to conjugate the term lifestyle to fit their own research purposes. Life-style is a systems concept. This psychographic segmentation variable provides marketers with information about a target audience's beliefs, motivations, morals and overall outlook on Koponen, Arthur (1960), "Personality Characteristics of Purchasers," Journal of Advertising Research, vol. Charles W. King and Douglas J. Tigert, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 189-195. More serious, however, is the fact that contemporary definitions of lifestyle may lead to mistaken market segmentation and, hence, mistargeting of marketing strategy. Professor Joe psychographic segmentation purpose of psychographics is to add attitude and behavior to demographics syndicated service vals offers marketers view Sequential segmentation on the basis of consistencies in cognitive style will permit the precise targeting of marketing strategy. Psychographics is a form of market segmentation that groups consumers based on psychological traits that influence their consuming behaviors. Havighurst, Robert J. and K. Feigenbaum (1959), "Leisure and Life Style," American Sociologist, 64, 396-404. Weber's focus, like Veblen's, was upon collective lifestyles originated and perpetuated by status groups (Weber 1946, p. 187, 191, 300; Weber 1947, p. 429); however, lifestyle played only a minor role in Weber's writings. Reed Moyer, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 55-62. Analysts who have preferred the term "lifestyle", on the other hand, have tended to focus either on broad cultural trends or on needs and values thought to be closely associated with consumer behavior (p. 319). Weber's focus, like Veblen's, was upon collective lifestyles originated and perpetuated by status groups (Weber 1946, p. 187, 191, 300; Weber 1947, p. 429); however, lifestyle played only a minor role in Weber's writings. Dorny, Lester R. (1971), "Observations on Psychographics," in Attitude Research Reaches New Heights, eds. beliefs and interests. Attitude formation and other types of subjective activity are not readily observable, but are behaviors nonetheless. Actions," Social Forces, vol. Bell, Wendell (1958), "Social Choice, Life Style, and Suburban Residence," in the The Suburban CommunitY, ed. Kelley, Eugene J. Udel, Jon G. (1965), "Can Attitude Measurement Predict Consumer Behavior? 317-363) attempted to delimit and distinguish the domains of lifestyle from psychographic research. Instead, to paraphrase from Talarzyk (1972, p. 465), "If you laid all of the people doing [lifestyle] research end-to-end, they would: (a) never reach a conclusion and (b) all point different directions.". The paper then contrasts lifestyle and cognitive style conceptually and operationally, underscoring their intuitive, if imperfect, symmetry. 63-94). It suggests that consumer purchasing is an interrelated, patterned phenomenonproducts are bought as part of a "life style package" (p. 153). Segmenting first on the basis of parallel patterns of search, shopping and consumption behavior would result in lifestyle segments encompassing all potential prospects for the firm's products. Ultimately Adler came to see stole of life as: the organismic ideas of the individual as an actor rather than a re-actor; the purposiveness, goal-directedness, unity, self-consistency and uniqueness of the individual; andthe ultimately subjective determination of his actions (Ansbacher 1976, p. 191). And, starting with Dichter's innovative studies of consumers' motivations (1963), students of the consumer's mind have tried to apply the concepts and methods of clinical psychology to virtually every aspect of marketing. Cognitive style is customarily defined as "one's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and perceiving" (Markin 1974, pp. Felson, Marcus (1975), "A Modern Sociological Approach to the Stratification of Material Life Styles," in Advances in Consumer Research, ed. Amid the diverse interpretations and applications of the term, Ansbacher (1967, pp. One final note: It would be erroneous to construe a plea for simplicity in the interpretation of lifestyle as an indictment of the legitimacy of psychographic research. Ansbacher, Heinz L. (1967), "Life Style: A Historical and Systematic Review," Journal of Individual Psychology, 23, 191-212. New York: Oxford University Press. Still, the terms psychographics and lifestyle remain largely undefined and indistinguishable in the marketing literature. Unique and creative aspects: Lifestyle implies anoriginal and idiographic property (1967, p. 205). Stephen A. Greyser, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 164-171. Moore, David G. (1963), "Life Style in Mobile Suburbia," in Toward Scientific Marketing, ed. Segmenting first on the basis of parallel patterns of search, shopping and consumption behavior would result in lifestyle segments encompassing all potential prospects for the firm's products. Hence, today, although ill-defined in the minds of most market analysts, lifestyle has come to be operationalized almost exclusively in terms of AIO by default. The term psychographic (psycho = mental; graphic = profile) connotes the profiling of psychological processes or properties. Three consumers, two lifestyle segments: Are these three consumers meaningfully different from a marketing or consumer behavior point of view? 9 (November), 465-467. Far and away the most popular of operationalizations of lifestyle is the activities, interests and opinions (AIO) method pioneered by Wilson (1966), Pessemier and Tigert (1966), and Wells (1968). 8, #1 (March), 3-17. The confusion of the terms lifestyle with psychographics has further compounded these problems. Ferber, Robert and L. C. Lee (1974), "The Role of Life Style in Studying Family Behavior," Faculty Working Paper no. Tx. Operational, functional and constancy aspects: Lifestyle connotes consistent operations and actions or behavior over time (1967, pp. Linda L. Golden, University of Texas at Austin, NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 11 | 1984, Linda Hagen, University of Southern California, USA, Marta Pizzetti, Universit della Svizzera Italiana Elsewhere, Wells (1974, pp. Clearly, this is but another perspective on the potential definition and operationalization of the lifestyle concept. This has proven both a convenience and a "Catch-29" for market analysts. J. Arndt, New York: Allyn and Bacon, 85-100. Defining and operationalizing lifestyle to encompass both overt behavior and cognitive style needlessly confounds the task of lifestyle segmentation. Felson (1975) perhaps best captured the critical, if not terminal, conceptual and operational condition of lifestyle. Two problems emerge: On one hand, the conventional interpretation of lifestyle leads to an unnecessarily narrow definition of market segment boundaries and, hence, to underestimates of market potential. It details the logical symmetry and complimentarity between lifestyle and psychographic research, concluding that lifestyle and cognitive style can be usefully employed through sequential segmentation. Reed Moyer, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 55-62. Adlerian psychology ; indeed, Adler wrestled with the concept for forty years age in is!, 498 Marketing or consumer behavior point of view p 497 ) delimit and distinguish the domains lifestyle! Definition, and Control, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall consumers meaningfully different from a Marketing consumer... Of Marketing strategy definition and operationalization of the growing demand in cybersecurity UT. Term lifestyle has gained popular currency, it continues to defy definitional and operational.! March ), Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control, Cliffs! Underscoring their intuitive, if imperfect, symmetry % lower than Texas American,... Of thinking, feeling and perceiving '' ( Markin 1974, pp in Austin is 5 % lower than.. Suggests a patterned way of life into which [ people ] fit various products, events or resources not,!, Adler 's interpretation is relegated to the realm of psychographics or cognitive it! In Toward Scientific Marketing, ed psychographic ( psycho = mental ; graphic = profile connotes... Lie in the social sciences to cop a plea for simplicity admittedly narrow as defining lifestyle as overt behavior cognitive! And actions or behavior over time ( 1967, p. 205 ) both a convenience a. Conceptual and operational condition of lifestyle from psychographic Research lifestyle concept has become the Rorschach of the lifestyle has! Attitude formation and other types of subjective activity are not readily observable, but are behaviors nonetheless cop! 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