The Psychological Underpinnings of Turkish Consumer Choices: Xenocentrism

Abstract

This study examines psychological drivers influencing Turkish consumer choices, specifically Xenocentrism’s role in purchasing decisions. Analyzing data from 377 young, urban, educated respondents, the research explores the relationship between Xenocentrism, Animosity, and Product Judgment affecting the willingness to buy U.S. goods. Employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and validated scales, the study challenges the conventional belief that Animosity toward a foreign country reduces purchase willingness. Findings indicate that Personal and National Animosity may coincide with or increase the propensity to purchase despite Product Judgments. This suggests a complex consumer decision-making paradigm, where Animosity is intertwined with identity assertion and perceived product quality. Results show Turkish consumers’ purchase intentions are grounded in product excellence, with perceived superiority shaping xenocentric buying preferences. The implications extend to rethinking consumer behavior models in emerging markets, accounting for the nuanced influences of Animosity, product evaluation, and global cultural narratives. This nuanced understanding of Xenocentrism contributes to the literature by delineating how consumer Animosity and global cultural narratives inform behavior in a post-truth world, providing actionable insights for both theorists and practitioners in the field.

Keywords:

• Xenocentrism
• animosity
• product judgment
• willingness to purchase
• post-truth

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Ethics

This article is an extension of a Ph.D. thesis and received ethical approval from the associated school’s ethics committee in 2020.

Data availability statement

The authors retain the data underpinning the results and analyses in this paper.