Consumer response to technology products
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate how technology product attributes influence consumer responses. It proposes a research model of consumer use of technology products by applying the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974) to suggest that technology product attributes elicit consumers' cognitive (attitude) and affective (pleasure and arousal) responses, leading to their approach-avoidance behavior. Based on survey data from college students, this study determined six central technology product attributes: usefulness, ease of use, innovativeness, visual appeal, prototypicality, and self-expression. The findings from hypothesis testing revealed significant relationships among various product attributes and consumer responses: (1) innovativeness of technology, visual appeal, and self-expression with attitude, (2) usefulness, innovativeness of technology, and self-expression with pleasure, (3) usefulness, innovativeness of technology, and visual appeal with arousal, (4) attitude with approach-avoidance behavior, and (5) pleasure with approach-avoidance behavior. However, the relationship between arousal and approach-avoidance behavior was not significant. With respect to arousal, additional analyses showed that other two psychological response variables (attitude and pleasure) mediate the relationship between arousal and approach-avoidance behavior, indicating the indirect effect of arousal on approach-avoidance behavior. This study contributes to the extant literature on technology products and consumer behavior. First, this empirical examination of technology product attributes from a user's (consumer's) perspective fills a void in previous research work, which mainly relied on developing conceptual frameworks of technology product attributes. Additionally, by drawing on Meherabian and Russell's (1974) S-O-R paradigm, this study demonstrates the underlying psychological processes by which product attributes evoke consumers’ cognitive and emotional experiences with technology products, and their subsequent behavior using technology products. Additionally, the study provides practical implications to technology product marketers and retailers selling technology products. By determining the relevant attributes of technology products, marketers and retailers may develop more effective marketing and promotion strategies. At the same time, the findings from this study could help them gain a better understanding of how consumers respond and evaluate technology products.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Ha, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Marketing|Behavioral psychology
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.