Motives for purchase decision-making: combining attribution and functional approaches

The motivations which lead to consumer decisions have been given relatively little research attention, since motivations are difficult to quantify. The four part typology developed by Katz,¹ when combined with self-perceived attributions, provides a useful method of examining the motivational underpinnings of consumer-purchase decisions. This study involved an experimental design to evaluate self perceptions of the four functional motives—ego defensive, value expressive, knowledge and utilitarian. A sample of 105 undergraduate students attributed their use or purchase for each of 52 items to one of the four functional motives. Using these responses as self-perception attributions, two research questions were examined: (i) would the four part typology be useful in explaining self-perceptions of past behaviour? and (ii) would one function of the typology dominate these reports for each item? An across-subject analysis suggested the four part typology could be meaningfully employed within a self-perception context. However, one functional motive dominated attributions for only six of 52 items. Since motivations and consumer behaviour are clearly linked, this research offers a method of providing additional insight into that linkage. The paper concludes with further research possibilities that integrate the functional motive approach and self-perception attributions.     

How Much Investment Choice is Enough for Members?

In recent years Australians have been given increased responsibility in making investment strategy decisions for their superannuation contributions. The investment choices superannuation funds typically offer include ready-made options with a strategic asset allocation or a "do-it-yourself option where the members choose their own asset allocation. This paper examines a sample of choices by members of a large industry fund which allows members any combination of six ready-made pools and eight asset classes. About one-quarter of these decisions involve choices which suggest a possibly naïve view of diversification unless members are conscious of resulting asset allocations.     

Black Female Clerical Workers: Movement toward Equality with White Women?

This article examines the occupational mobility patterns of black and white female clerical workers from 1972 to 1980. Black women were initially concentrated in the lower-paying clerical positions and were less likely than white women to leave for better jobs in other areas. Those black women who had relatively good clerical jobs tended not to rise any further and even experienced some difficulty in maintaining their occupational status. Education and training aided occupational mobility less for black women than for white women.     

Differences in Spending Habits and Credit Use of College Students

In a study of college students, affective credit attitude (feeling about using credit cards) and gender influenced college students' credit purchasing. Affective credit attitude predicted the purchase of clothing, electronics, entertainment, travel, gasoline, and food away from home. Females purchased clothing; males purchased electronics, entertainment, and food away from home. Gender was more influential in predicting financial management practices than was affective credit attitude, with female students employing a greater number of financial practices. A path analysis model showed gender differences in the relationship between financial practices, financial stress, affective credit attitude, and the number of credit cards with a balance.     

PILE UPHOLSTERY FABRICS–CONSTRUCTION CHARACTERISTICS AND ABRASION RESISTANCE

Pile fabrics are currently enjoying a renewed popularity. They are not only an important upholstery fabric but also are gaining importance in other textile end-uses such as apparel, footwear, toys and accessories. Pile fabrics are made in both natural and synthetic fibres as well as natural and synthetic fibre blends. The study was an attempt to develop a procedure to evaluate the physical properties of pile fabrics to determine their suitability for specific end-uses. The study defined and tested different pile fabric samples which were representative of the 1979 interior textile fabric lines. Six pile fabrics, each with different fibre contents were subjected to seven separate tests and the results reported. The tests included fibre identification, fabric weight determination, fabric thickness determination, breaking load determination, tearing strength determination, and abrasion resistance determination. The results found that pile upholstery fabrics of different generic fibres performed differently when subjected to physical testing. The results obtained from the physical properties tests gave results which can be used to compare pile fabrics of different generic fibre content.     

A Three-Pronged Look at Family Saving*

Are the economic choices of families in part a reflection of attitudes and knowledge? What is the relationship between attitudes and knowledge? This study posed these questions with regard to family savings behavior in an attempt to add to understanding in this important area of economic activity.