Purchase Information Acquisition and Cognitive Style

Summary

Researchers in a previous work suggested that information processing and coding behaviors are influenced by dogmatism. Such an influence would have significant implications in the realm of consumer behavior. In the present study, the amount of predecision purchase information search and the sources of information utilized were examined in relation to the level of dogmatism present in an individual's belief-disbelief system by means of questionnaires. The data were based on actual purchases of two relatively expensive consumer products—hi fi stereo systems (n = 49) and multispeed bicycles (n = 67). The hypothetical purchase of a new economy size car was also included as a third product (n = 220). In order to minimize differences in information search resulting from sociodemographic characteristics like age, education, income, and stage of life cycle, which have been observed in prior studies, the respondents were selected from a relatively homogeneous population consisting of male and female university students. The results suggested that in actual purchase situations prepurchase information search tends to be negatively related to dogmatism. In terms of sources utilized, the number of other people approached for information had the highest absolute negative correlations with dogmatism.