Conversely, the logical focus of lifestyle research may be described as the identification of characteristic patterns of overt behavior that may or may not be systematically linked to cognitive style. Clearly, this is but another perspective on the potential definition and operationalization of the lifestyle concept. Although the patient is critical, its condition is not terminal. The diversity of attempts to operationalize lifestyle mirrors the conceptual confusion confounding and impeding lifestyle research (see Exhibit 1). At the same time the term lifestyle became part of our popular and professional idiom, its conceptual and operational imprecision was compounded by a semantic maze confusing lifestyle with psychographics, confounding and impeding lifestyle research, and compromising the usefulness of lifestyle as a segmentation variable. Analysts continue to conjugate the term lifestyle to fit their own research purposes. Best (1980), Consumer Behavior-Implications for Marketing Strategy, Dallas, TX: Business Publications. about 90 percent of the amount in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX Metro Area: $86,530. Because lifestyle continues to defy definitional consensus, it can be conveniently customized to any analyst's purpose. Although quickly adopted as the most widely cited interpretation of the lifestyle concept in. 13. Berkman and Gilson's (1978) definition is only one of several contemporary interpretations of lifestyle but is representative. It is noteworthy that nowhere in Wells' article did he define or attempt to distinguish "lifestyle" from "psychographic" from "activity and attitude" research. Burn Boot Camp Franchising | Buy a Fitness Franchise Prior to joining the e-commerce industry, Leigh-Anne perfected her marketing skills at The University of Texas at Austin and CanIRank. The distinction has apparently been lost on most consumer analysts, as the terms continue to be used interchangeably, indeed by Wells himself (Wells, 1975b). Certificate of Completion from The University of Texas at Austin. Best (1980), Consumer Behavior-Implications for Marketing Strategy, Dallas, TX: Business Publications. THE LIFESTYLE CONCEPT IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. For example, according to contemporary definitions, two consumers would be classed as exhibiting a similar lifestyle if, and only if, they are characterized by both parallel patterns of overt behavior and congruent cognitive styles. In Austin 6.82% of the population is Asian. Consequently, in interpreting lifestyle to include both characteristic patterns of overt behavior and cognitive processes and properties, contemporary definitions of lifestyle frequently lead to operationalizations that are internally inconsistent. Lifestyle research is reminiscent of the parable of the elephant and the blind men of Hindustan. Wells, William D. (1975,), "Comment on the Meaning of LifeStyle," in Advances in Consumer Research, ed. Analysts continue to conjugate the term lifestyle to fit their own research purposes. Sequential segmentation on the basis of consistencies in cognitive style will permit the precise targeting of marketing strategy. Mills, C. Wright (1953), "Introduction," The Theory of the Leisure Class, New York: New American Library, vi-xix. Actions," Social Forces, vol. Actions," Social Forces, vol. Equally importantly, the proposed distinctions should lead to greater definitional consensus, operational clarity, and more defensible linkages to existing research and theory in the social sciences. 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). Create a strategy. Three consumers, two lifestyle segments: Are these three consumers meaningfully different from a marketing or consumer behavior point of view? (1963), "Discussion," in Toward Scientific Marketing, ed. While cognitive style may be reflected in overt behavior, the connection is imperfect and often asymmetrical because of the intervening of moderating influence of situational environmental variables or enabling conditions. Live mentorship with experts. $53,937 Per capita income. Kotler, Philip (1980), Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 345-355). The second is harder but more important and those are the psychographics. 200-201). It is rare in the social sciences to cop a plea for simplicity. 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. 194-196). austin texas psychographics. Wells, William D. (1968), "Backward Segmentation," in Insights into Consumer Behavior, ed. Writing at the same time, Levy (1963) proposed a contrasting concept of lifestyle, one reminiscent of Adler's conviction that a fictionalized goal or theme pervades one's life providing structure to both self-concept and behavior. Charles W. King and Douglas i. Tigert, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 200-201. The emphasis Ansbacher ascribes to the unifying property mirrors his conviction that lifestyle bridges cognitive style and response style. W. Thomas Anderson, Jr., University of Texas at Austin Zimbardo, Phillip and Ebbe B. Ebbesen (1970), Influencing Attitudes and Changing Behavior, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 125-337. It popped up in the 1970s, and its power to help marketers has been apparent from the get-go. 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). The primary purpose of this paper is to revive and refine lifestyle as a theoretical and research tool and segmentation variable. Sometime during the 1960's a blend of these two traditions began to take shape. Wells provides this historical perspective in his exhaustive "Psychographics: A Critical Review" (1975b): Starting with the classic study of Koponen (1960), investigators have repeatedly tried to correlate consumer behavior with scores obtained from standardized personality inventories. Dichter, Ernest (1964), Handbook of Consumer Motivations, New York: McGraw-Hill. Wells, William D. (19751 ), "Psychographics: A Critical Review," Journal of Marketing Research, 12(May), 196-213. Talarzyk, W. Wayne (1972), "A Reply to the Response to Bass, Talarzyk, Sheth," Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 45, #3 (March), 347-355. The suggested relationships are depicted in Figure l. Lifestyle is positioned as behavioral, and cognitive style is positioned as psychological and a subset of psychographic research. There is a serious internal inconsistency in this definition, and others like it, which in turn implies major operational inconsistencies. Katona, George (1960), The Powerful Consumer, New York: McGraw-Hill. (1966), "Words and Needs: Social Science and Social Policy," Social Problems, vol. The criteria that form these groups are psychographic profiles. Such profiles are effective primarily because they allow marketers to focus on specific values and preferences. To acquire enough data to form psychographic profiles, marketers typically use the following two methods: Axelrod, Joel N. (1968), "Attitude Measurements that Predict Purchases," Journal of Advertising Research, vol. Pessemier, Edgar A. and Douglas J. Tigert (1966), "Personality, Activity, and Attitude Predictors of Consumer Behavior," in New Ideas for Successful Marketing, eds. Stephen A. Greyser, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 140-149. Yet from the firm's perspective, one important denominator of patronage potential is congruence in overt behavior, irrespective of contrasts in cognitive style. However, such an assumption flies in the face of the growing body of research examining their interaction. 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. It first documents the diversity and internal inconsistency of definitions and operationalizations of lifestyle in consumer behavior literature. Beverlee B. Anderson, Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research. Elsewhere, Wells (1974, pp. $230. None played so major a role in developing the life style concept and integrating it into our idiom and thought as the psychologist Alfred Adler. An individual's life-style is a large complex symbol in motion. Operational, functional and constancy aspects: Lifestyle connotes consistent operations and actions or behavior over time (1967, pp. The most significant demographic age group in this Udel, Jon G. (1965), "Can Attitude Measurement Predict Consumer Behavior? $79,542 Median household income. The term "life style"suggests a patterned way of life into which [people] fit various products, events or resources. Moore (1963) suggested still another definition of lifestyle to bridge conceptual and operational interpretations of the term closely approximating those which have come into contemporary use. Wells, William D. (1968), "Backward Segmentation," in Insights into Consumer Behavior, ed. Of particular relevance to the present analysis is Ansbacher's observation that: The concept of style may vary in range from a relatively limited segment to the totality of behavior when it becomes lifestyle. In an unfashionable depiction of the ostentatious style of life (or "scheme of life," in Veblen's words) of the American noveau riche of the latter half of the nineteenth century, Veblen established a fashion of thinking about social, economic, and consumer behavior that has persisted (Mills 1953). Life-style is a systems concept. Over the past half-century the intuitively appealing notion that individuals and groups exhibit idiosyncracies of "style" in living fueled intensifying interest in the lifestyle concept among social satirists and social scientists alike. Psychographics allow you to uncover the content topics that are likely to resonate with your customers. Highlight the brand's values. Psychographics also give brands the opportunity to highlight their values and align them with the customer's. This can help companies accomplish their branding goals. Advances in Consumer Research Volume 11, 1984 Pages 405-411 LIFESTYLE AND PSYCHOGRAPHICS: A CRITICAL REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION W. Thomas Anderson, Jr., University of Texas at Austin Linda L. Golden, University of Texas at Austin [W. Thomas Anderson, Jr. and Linda L. Golden are Associate Professors in the Department of Marketing at The University of Texas at Austin. Attitude formation and other types of subjective activity are not readily observable, but are behaviors nonetheless. The suggested relationships are depicted in Figure l. Lifestyle is positioned as behavioral, and cognitive style is positioned as psychological and a subset of psychographic research. Apply Now. Dichter, Ernest (1964), Handbook of Consumer Motivations, New York: McGraw-Hill. The practical problem of pitching patronage appeals to consumers varying in attitudes and opinions, albeit behaviorally congruent, poses a needless obstacle. Psychographics is a form of market segmentation that groups consumers based on psychological traits that influence their consuming behaviors. W. Thomas Anderson, Jr. and Linda L. Golden (1984) ,"Lifestyle and Psychographics: a Critical Review and Recommendation", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 11, eds. Levy, Sidney J. WebPsychographics: Jason$is$into$ athle2c,$outdoor$ac2vi2es,$the$ latesttechnology$and$nightlife$DD$ especially$live$entertainment.$ 194-196). The term "unified patterns of behavior" refers to behavior in its broadest sense. 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). Ansbacher, Heinz L. (1967), "Life Style: A Historical and Systematic Review," Journal of Individual Psychology, 23, 191-212. Both cognitive style and lifestyle are influenced by enabling conditions, which lie in the context of environmental constraints and opportunities. J. S. Wright and J. L. Goldstucker, Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 332-347. It suggests that consumer purchasing is an interrelated, patterned phenomenonproducts are bought as part of a "life style package" (p. 153). Implicit in the foregoing definitional distinctions is the realization that while cognitive style and lifestyle perhaps operate in imperfect symmetry, the domains of psychographic and lifestyle research are logically symmetrical and complementary (Dorny 1971; Loudon and Della Bitta 1979, p. 98). OPERATIONALIZATIONS OF LIFESTYLE IN MARKETING. On the other hand, were all three consumer prospects included in the same lifestyle segment, targeting of marketing strategy would prove problematical because of contrast in cognitive style. In Austin 75.86% of the population is White. 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. Ferber, Robert and L. C. Lee (1974), "The Role of Life Style in Studying Family Behavior," Faculty Working Paper no. Bell, Wendell (1958), "Social Choice, Life Style, and Suburban Residence," in the The Suburban CommunitY, ed. While Dorny's conceptual distinction, too, has apparently fallen on deaf ears, it at least recognizes a potential, if imperfect, symmetry between what he refers to as "mental" processes or properties (the province of psychographic research) and overt activities or behavior (the domain of lifestyle research). The most telling observation from Exhibit 1, however, is the paucity of published lifestyle literature addressing the three criteria qualifying the usefulness of any social science construct: (1) definitional consensus, (2) operational clarity, and (3) theoretical context. 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 result of sequential segmentation should be more accurate assessment of market potential and more efficient targeting of marketing strategy. Kelley, Eugene J. Psychographics, Demographics, & Public Opinion - Public Relations - Subject and Course Guides at University of Texas at Arlington Public Relations (1963), "Symbolism and Life Style," in Toward Scientific Marketing, ed. None played so major a role in developing the life style concept and integrating it into our idiom and thought as the psychologist Alfred Adler. Lifestyle cannot help one to understand consumer behavior if lifestyle variables are a disorderly, nongeneral, nonhierarchical, or atheoretical set of vaguely related traits whose casual relationships to each other and to anything else are unspecified. Hence, the lifestyle segment should be expanded to include all three consumers on the basis of behavioral parallelism. about 1.5 times the amount in Texas: $34,717. This has proven both a convenience and a "Catch-29" for market analysts. Get the most of the growing demand in cybersecurity with UT Austin's program. Ferber, Robert and L. C. Lee (1974), "The Role of Life Style in Studying Family Behavior," Faculty Working Paper no. Use of the lifestyle concept as an analytical construct dates from Thorstein Veblen's turn-of-the-century classic The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) and from Max Weber's landmark studies of status (1946, 1947). 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). OPERATIONALIZATIONS OF LIFESTYLE IN MARKETING The diversity of attempts to operationalize lifestyle mirrors the conceptual confusion confounding and impeding lifestyle research (see Exhibit 1). 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). Exhibit 1 provides a comprehensive review of definitions, operationalizations, and theoretical anchorages of lifestyle appearing in the marketing literature, along with the major proponents of each. New York: Oxford University Press. The term "life style"suggests a patterned way of life into which [people] fit various products, events or resources. 9 (November), 465-467. Both cognitive style and lifestyle are influenced by enabling conditions, which lie in the context of environmental constraints and opportunities. Felson (1975) perhaps best captured the critical, if not terminal, conceptual and operational condition of lifestyle. Membership in ACR is relatively inexpensive, but brings significant benefits to its members. Austin has an estimated population of 961,855 according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Lifestyle is all things to all people, but this very fact that has made the concept appealing also impedes the development of further precision. Implicit in the foregoing definitional distinctions is the realization that while cognitive style and lifestyle perhaps operate in imperfect symmetry, the domains of psychographic and lifestyle research are logically symmetrical and complementary (Dorny 1971; Loudon and Della Bitta 1979, p. 98). 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. Deutscher (1966, p. 135) succinctly summarized the implication: "Disparities between thought and action are the central methodological problem of the social sciences." 1 ) traditions began to take shape life style '' suggests a patterned way of into! 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