The Influence of Cognitive Personality Traits and Demographics on Consumer Information Acquisition

Abstract

Housewives were found to examine more cues and attributes for a durable-good information-display-board task than for comparable nondurable tasks. The number of cues drawn and of alternatives examined were positively related to tolerance for ambiguity and self-esteem, and negatively related to cognitive style and trait anxiety. Housewives who were older, later in the family life cycle, less educated, and homeowners tended to draw fewer cues and examine fewer alternatives.