Stability and Change in Consumer Traits: Evidence from a 12-Year Longitudinal Study, 2002–2013

Abstract

This article examines the temporal dynamics in 11 consumer traits in a broad sample of 1,411 Dutch consumers followed for 12 years. The traits encompass consumer-specific expressions of all Big Five personality dimensions and map responses to the 4 Ps. The authors examine measurement stability and individual and population trajectories over time, as well as test–retest correlations, profile stability, and structural stability. They find that consumer traits are almost as stable as Big Five personality traits, even when measured with only a few items. Yet stability does not preclude change. The authors report notable trends that reflect the process of aging and/or changing attitudes in society over time. They disentangle both effects and find that society's changes in consumer traits are largely consistent with dynamic cultural theory. In paying special attention to the effects of the Great Recession, they find that price consciousness is most susceptible to changes in environmental conditions. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings conclude.