The direct and indirect influences of human values on product ownership

Abstract

The present study proposes a conceptual model of how consumers' choice of products may be influenced by the human values that they endorse. The model suggests that values can influence product choice directly or indirectly depending on the meaning of the product and the kind of judgement used to evaluate that meaning. Specifically, values would have a direct influence on product choice when consumers attend to a product's symbolic meaning and make an affective judgement, and have an indirect influence (via tangible attribute importance) when consumers attend to a product's utilitarian meaning and make a piecemeal judgement. To test the hypothesis, we developed scales to measure preferences for the two broad types of meanings and judgements, and then tested the associations between these scales and the direct and indirect influences of human values on product ownership. Results based on the ownership of smaller or larger family cars and of sunglasses all confirmed the hypothesis. PsycINFO classification: 3900; 3920; 2229; 3000