Demographic Variables

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Specific demographic variables to be included in the model are (1) gender, (2) education and (3) age. Turning first to gender-based differences in search behavior, these have been reported relatively rarely in the consumer behavior literature, although the issue has been investigated in relation to many aspects of computing and computer use (e.g., Badagliacco, 1990; Bartol, 1979; Crowley, 1988; Parry and Wharton, 1994; Schumacher and Morahan-Martin, 2001). Of the few consumer search behavior studies that have addressed the issue, Kiel and Layton (1981) found no gender differences in the amount of search for a durable good in relation to automobiles. By contrast, Loudon and Della Bitta (1993) reported that females tend to search more for durable goods, however the relevant goods were not specified. The level of educational achievement has also been related to search behavior in the consumer behavior literature, although results have frequently been conflicting. Positive related results include: Claxton, Fry and Portis, (1974) (furniture and appliances); Hempel (1969) (homes); Katona and Mueller (1955) (appliances); Kiel and Layton (1981) (automobiles-more search, but less within retail establishments); Maddox et al. (1978) (automobiles-in relation to evoked set size); and, Schaninger and Sciglimpaglia (1979) (various goods). By contrast, Katona and Mueller (1955) (sports shirts), and Newman and Staelin (1972) (automobiles and major appliances), found no direct relationship between education and search behavior.

Age is another variable that has been found to correlate with differences in search behavior. It is generally acknowledged that older consumers tend to search less extensively for information. In many cases the differences found have been related to the greater experience and more established consumer preferences that older individuals tend to possess (Howard and Sheth, 1969). Similarly, Bettman (1979) hypothesized that older consumers had well developed heuristics, which tended to obviate the need for extended information search.



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Advanced Topics in End User Computing (Vol. 3)
Advanced Topics in End User Computing, Vol. 3
ISBN: 1591402573
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 191

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