Reluctant Consumers Research Articles

It’s getting dark, but we will see: Gaining collective momentum in face of existential environmental threat

Collective action to protect the environment is increasingly moving into the focus of environmental psychology. Also policy makers are well-advised to consider the dynamics of collective environmental action as a vehicle to swift ecological transformations of societies. A sense of collective environmental agency (vs. treating citizens as reluctant consumers) is proposed to drive people supporting collective ecological transformations and engaging in personal and political action against large-scale environmental crises, such as climate change. The Global Environmental Psychology special section, “Responding to the Socio-Ecological Crisis: Collective Action and Activism”, presents nine empirical research articles that help to assess the antecedences and consequences of collective environmental agency. The present commentary discusses what the specific contributions of these papers are to better understand the emergence of collective environmental agency and what their implications are for future research in the field of social environmental psychology.

Sentiment Analysis of Beauty Product Applications using the Naïve Bayes Method

The number of beauty products that appear on the market makes every producer compete in attracting consumers. One of the facilities provided by manufacturers to make it easier for consumers to shop is an online shopping application that can be accessed via gadgets. Where the feature of the application is the availability of user review services User reviews are often used as a recommendation for the product to be purchased. The more positive the reviews that appear, the greater the consumer's confidence to buy the product; conversely, the more negative the reviews that appear, the more reluctant consumers are to buy. This study aims to find out how much accuracy the Naïve Bayes algorithm has in conducting sentiment analysis on user reviews of beauty product applications with different combinations of training and test data. Furthermore, it is also important to know the frequency of words that often appear in the review. The sentiment class used is divided into three, namely, positive, negative, and neutral. This research method includes a number of stages, namely: data collection, data labeling, text pre-processing, data visualization, TF-IDF, sentiment analysis, etc., until the results are obtained. This research has produced the highest accuracy rate of 90.08% in the Naïve Bayes algorithm, with a composition of 90% training data and 10% test data. While the word that often appears in user reviews is "application," with a frequency of 446 occurrences, it is followed by the word "product," 444 times, and the word "price," 312 times. The greater the amount of training data used, the higher the level of accuracy resulting from the Naïve Bayes algorithm. Meanwhile, the greater the amount of test data used, the lower the resulting accuracy value.

‘Keeping an Eye on the Other Side’ RT, Sputnik, and Their Peculiar Appeal in Democratic Societies

The reach of illiberal international propaganda outlets rests on citizens in democratic countries as recipients and potential disseminators. However, little research has scrutinised the audiences for such platforms. Why do audiences in democratic states consume content from such outlets, and how far do they actually align with it ideologically? The present research seeks to address this gap. Building on and extending the recent research findings of a large-scale survey, interviews with Swedish media consumers were conducted between 23 March and 13 April 2022, providing a unique close-up on a group of media consumers who stated that they consumed, among other alternative media, the Russian state-sponsored media outlets RT and Sputnik as part of their media diet. The findings, elicited through interviews and the Q-sort method, challenge previous research that presents this audience in a one-dimensional way. First, we investigate their alignment with different political narratives, identifying three different profiles. Although only one profile generally aligned with the RT/Sputnik messaging, almost all the participants appreciate the content and share it on social media. Secondly, we examine their rationale for consumption, revealing a diverse array of motivations, and leading us to theorise four distinct consumption profiles: Distant Observers, Reluctant Consumers, Media Nihilists and Establishment Critics. We interpret these results and discuss their broader implications, before reflecting on the complexities of characterising audiences consuming authoritarian international broadcasting.

Alleviating inequity and promoting a moral economy through Fair Trade: how can reluctant consumers become part of the solution?

ABSTRACT Anchored in social-justice philosophy, the Fair Trade (FT) system aims to help producers in poor/developing countries through contributions from consumers in wealthy parts of the world. Focusing on consumers who have not yet adopted FT products, we examine marketing options for broadening the Fair Trade system by encouraging the involvement of this consumer segment. Based on equity theory, across three studies, we test if fairness considerations increase consumers’ willingness-to-pay the FT premium and illustrate the role of product type (utilitarian versus hedonic) in stimulating willingness-to-pay. Individual differences in consumers’ social-value-orientation are taken into account, and the strategic implications of marketing FT products to reluctant consumers are highlighted.

Is it an error to communicate CSR Strategies? Neural differences among consumers when processing CSR messages

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is progressively gaining in relevance in business management. CSR messages aimed at consumers have nonetheless not bolstered sales. Given this, the current study, a first of this type, turned to neuroimaging to evaluate the neural mechanisms involved when processing CSR messages (responsible business practices messages) among two opposing consumer profiles, notably those that avoid purchasing socially responsible products (reluctant consumers) and those that purchase them habitually (habitual consumers). The findings of the neural study reveal variations in the processing of CSR messages by each profile, results that were not identified through self-reports. CSR messages generate stronger neural activation among reluctant consumers in brain regions linked to negative value and aversion (the putamen and the ACC). CSR messages among habitual consumers, in turn, do not generate negative or positive neural reactions. The findings are then discussed from the perspective of deliberative and automated decision-making processes.

The Digital Revolution and Covid-19

We develop a simple model of digital markets to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on the digital transformation of sectors. The lockdown due to Covid-19 is modeled as a shock that wipes out the physical market, temporarily leaving digital consumption as the only option. Under plausible assumptions on digital demand and supply, the model predicts that such temporary shock produces an irreversible rise of the digital markets. This happens for three distinct reasons. First, by temporarily eliminating the physical market, Covid-19 provides a strong incentive for firms to carry out the fixed investments necessary to venture into the digital market (supply channel). Secondly, by forcing even the most reluctant consumers into the digital market, Covid-19 pushes them to familiarize with digital platforms, and this confidence endures in the post-Covid era (demand channel). Finally, if consumers' taste for digitalization is affected by the size of the digital market, a market may be entrapped into a low-digital equilibrium indefinitely. In such context, the lockdown due to the pandemic is the shock that may unleash the forces of digitalization and tilt the entire sector towards a high-digital equilibrium (network externalities channel).

Consumers’ attitudes and willingness to pay for organic eggs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand consumer attitudes toward organic eggs by identifying their profiles and estimating the degree of their willingness to pay (WTP) for eggs with different attributes in order to evaluate the position of organic eggs.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected from a face-to-face cross-sectional market survey, which involved a choice experiment design and a series of questions related to respondents’ attitudes and preferences in terms of organic egg consumption. A total of 552 consumers who are responsible for their household purchases were sampled, while the survey was performed in the major cities of seven regions of Turkey. The gathered data from the questions on consumer attitudes and preferences were analyzed using ordered probit, while the choice experiment data were analyzed through the use of conditional logit and mixed logit models.FindingsConsumers perceive organic eggs to be healthy, nutritious and delicious food. In the study, we obtained three consumer groups (collectivist consumers, individualist consumers and reluctant consumers) with different characteristics in relation to organic egg consumption. When the motivations for organic egg consumption were analyzed, it was found that individual benefits have a greater impact than collectivist benefits on consumers’ choice to purchase organic eggs. According to the results of the regression analysis, consumers are willing to pay ₺0.76 more per egg for organic eggs compared to conventional eggs. Overall, consumers are reluctant to pay a premium in view of the functionality aspect of eggs.Research limitations/implicationsThe results will help the actors within the egg industry to develop production and market-planning processes for differentiated egg markets according to consumer preferences and in terms of having the opportunity to select their ideal customer segments.Originality/valueThe research is the first study that analyses the motivations and the willingness of Turkish consumers to purchase organic eggs through using a choice experiment design and regression models. Original findings include the segmentation of consumers according to personal beliefs and norms. The research is also important in terms of comparing two regression model results in methodical terms. The similarity among the obtained results from the regression analysis increased the reliability of the study.

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Post-treatment Change: Making Progress Toward a Developmentally-Sensitive Evaluation Process

The evaluation of mental health services is an important tool for understanding treatment efficacy, aswell as for engaging clients in their treatment. Because adolescents are often more reluctant consumers ofmental health services relative to adults, progress monitoring and evaluation may be particularly importantwith these clients. Standardized assessment tools are useful, but the use of open-ended questionsaddressing perceived change and progress made toward recovery is likely to yield important information ina developmentally appropriate way. This mixed-method exploratory study captured adolescents’ (N=74)perceptions of their mental health status in their own words, as well as specific changes they have noted intheir mental health at six months following a brief psychiatric hospitalization. Adolescents’ qualitativedescriptions of their mental health status were classified: “improved,” “worse,” “mixed,” and “same.” Theseoutcome classifications corresponded well with baseline and follow-up scores on several standardizedmeasures of mental health and wellbeing. In articulating their perceptions of change over time, participantsdiscussed symptoms, interpersonal relationships, coping, and future orientation. Our findings revealadolescents’ perspectives on recovery and well-being, and suggest ways that treatment evaluation can beadapted to better meet the developmental needs of young people.

Making Meaning of MSW Students’ Statistical Abilities: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Knowledge-Based Assessment

ABSTRACTAlthough statistics and research are key components of social work education, students are often described as reluctant consumers and users of statistics. Self-efficacy theory has been used to understand students’ engagement with the statistical knowledge needed for practice. This quantitative study explores the relationship between self-efficacy, self-reported ability, and demonstrated statistical knowledge among MSW students (N = 101). There was a weak positive relationship between self-efficacy and the ability to apply statistics, but self-efficacy was not associated with perceived or demonstrated ability to define statistical concepts. Although many students demonstrated a strong ability to define statistical concepts, the majority of students were unable to apply the concepts to a practice-based example. The implications for competency-based statistical instruction are discussed.

Prosumers in the wine market: An explorative study

Winning business models increasingly build on stronger integration of clients in the world of production. Empirical evidence on such prosuming for the wine industry is lacking. A multidimensional approach and 321 interviews with wine consumers allowed to explore presuming interest with descriptive, correlation, and a two-step cluster analyses. The study results support the relevance of customer integration in the world of wine. Two clusters divide the wine consumers: prosuming interested versus prosuming reluctant consumers. Against literature based expectations, demographics or wine knowledge are less cluster determinant. Challenging wine consumer groups, especially the younger generation, can be attracted via prosuming. New client relationships can be built with loyalty and price premium opportunities in a market where these two success variables are under pressure. Despite a general openness and curiosity from the client side the interviews revealed no enthusiasm for prosuming and disclosed a segment of clients with low and limited involvement interest. Hence careful resource allocation is recommended. Prosuming needs managerial attention and a strategic approach adapting the business model to integrate interested clients.

“A Progression and a Regression at the Same Time”: Hybrid Masculinities and Entrepreneurial Selfhood

Research suggests normative masculinities are increasingly defined through consumption, particularly the consumption of fashions and cosmetics. Much existing research examines heterosexual men’s reluctance to embrace consumer masculinities due to cultural associations, which associate consumption with femininities and subordinated masculinities. However, not all men are reluctant consumers. Little research has examined the relationship between masculinity and aesthetic consumption in a cultural context in which the body is increasingly framed as a tool for self-promotion and upward mobility. Drawing on qualitative research on male personal style bloggers, I examine the masculinities of men who actively turn the gaze on themselves, performing creative class ambitions through the display of the dressed body. I find privileged bloggers incorporate elements of non-hegemonic masculinities into the performance of hybrid masculinities, which allow them to distance themselves from the negative associations of hegemonic masculinity while continuing to reproduce sexual difference and hierarchies.

The Potential Market for GM Rice with Health Benefits in a Chinese High-Risk Region

Genetically modified rice with a high folate content, i.e., folate biofortified rice, was recently developed to tackle folate deficiency. A consumer segmentation study is conducted to explore its market potential in the Chinese Shanxi Province, where the burden of folate deficiency is among the world’s highest. Cluster analysis of 451 rice consumers identified three segments: enthusiasts (14.2%), cautious (41.2%), and opponents (44.6%). Enthusiasts obtain the highest score of GM food knowledge and attitudes and have the highest GM rice acceptance rate, followed by cautious and reluctant consumers. Regarding GM food information, enthusiasts use almost entirely audiovisual channels and rely more on the industry, while other segments depend more on informal channels and anti-GM sources. Trust levels in these channels/sources differ between enthusiasts (high), opponents (neutral), and cautious (low). Based on multinomial regression, a targeted communication approach is recommended with a focus on female, cautious consumers and rural, low-educated opponents.

Opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the innovation and marketing of organic food: investigating consumers’ purchase behaviour of organic food products in Victoria, Australia

This research study investigates Victorian consumers' understanding, awareness and perceptions of organic food products. Analysis of the quantitative data revealed that there are three major segments of consumers, i.e., pro-organics, reluctant consumers and organic sceptics. The buying and usage pattern of these segments has been identified as also their demographic profile. The findings of this study are strategically important for small and medium size organic food producers. They would be better able to practise and implement differentiation strategies for the three identified segments of customers, thus allowing their marketing teams to emphasise the beneficial attributes of organic food products.

The critical question: Sight and Sound's postwar consolidation of liberal taste

The aims and status of arts and culture criticism are currently up for revision and under attack, according to a whole host of indicators. It is clear that the reasons for the current situation include the worldwide recession, the recent drop in print advertising revenues and, more fundamentally, the declining circulations attributable to reluctant consumers of print media. These developments have brought forth ontological, if not existential, questions about the purpose and worth of criticism in the age of WordPress blogospheres and a perceived democratization of criticism. Despite the ‘brave new world’ rhetoric underpinning the debate, precedents and some of the solutions to these ‘new media’ problems are to be found in old historical lessons. This article focuses one such case study. Examining Sight and Sound's 1960 ‘Critical Question’, a reaction to Cahiers du cinéma but, more importantly, an intervention into a key debate on the purpose of criticism instructs us about the construction of particular, Lionel Trilling-inspired kind of ‘liberal’ taste that would come to define Sight and Sound's part in the establishment of a ‘broad church’ national film culture, a role it plays to this day.

Structural Techniques for Engaging Reluctant Parents in Counseling

Parents sometimes present their children for counseling with the hope that counselors can resolve or ameliorate their children's “pathology.” Often what is presented or understood by parents as the individual pathology of children in fact has a relational component involving parental interactions with the children. However, some parents may initially be reluctant consumers of the counseling process. Yet, parental involvement is important because parents may not only be contributors to the problem that their children are experiencing, but the best resource to assist their children in developing positive mental health. This article describes structural interventions for engaging reluctant parents in counseling.

What do we know about men's help‐seeking and health service use?

Men seek help and use health services less frequently than women do. Men's help-seeking practices and health service use are complex issues involving biological, psychological and sociological considerations. Most discussion on men's help-seeking positions them as reluctant consumers or "behaving badly" with respect to their health. Few studies have explored whether health service providers are equipped to deal with men's health issues appropriately. The current health system appears not to be tailored to meet the health needs of men. Better collaboration is required across disciplines, to further investigate men's health using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Anthropology, Family History, and the Concept of Strategy

In this essay, we consider family history as a common field of substantive and theoretical interest shaped by contacts among several disciplines. These disciplines obviously include social history and population studies, but also – and rather prominently – social anthropology. One major component of the growth of family history has been the increasing amount of attention that historians pay to topics such as marriage, kinship, and the family, which have long been of central significance in the anthropological investigation of social structure. On the other hand, anthropologists have become aware of the serious limitations of synchronic, present-oriented field research, and most of them now probably agree that historical analysis is essential if they are to understand social and cultural processes. This realization has gradually changed many anthropologists from reluctant consumers of historical work into active and often quite enthusiastic producers.

Towards a recognizable cultural identity of Croatian tourism

Tourism as social practice is inseparable from culture. The position of tourists towards culture is divided. Tourists primarily motivated by culture are not many. However, on the global tourist market this group represents a growing, exceptionally lucrative niche. Accidental and reluctant consumers of culture total some 45%. Through specific elements of cultural offer tourist marketing aims to attract both groups. A truly impressive and highly presentable national cultural heritage is a key element in the process of Croatian tourism revival and creation of a recognisable identity. The most immediate task is to define a relationship between culture and tourism, i.e. what tourism can gain through culture, how culture can be applied in tourism, and how profitable it is. Investigations of printed promotional materials indicate a lack of fundamental understanding on part of the tourist destination regarding the role of cultural heritage in tourism. This indicates the need for improved private-public sector collaboration and a better understanding of the sociodemographic traits, i.e. national habits and class pursuits of prospective tourists.

Cultural Competence in Feminist Family Therapy

In recent years African American families have assumed a higher level of visibility among consumers of psychological services. Despite this they are often reluctant consumers with a history of insensitive treatment from mental health institutions. Many African American men and women are also wary of feminism. These factors may leave the feminist family therapist with unique challenges in providing treatment to African American families. This article explores the need to view the African American family's experience in the context of African American cultural imperatives and the antagonistic relationship between African Americans and the dominant culture in the U.S. The authors also address the importance of the therapists' awareness of their own racial identity, the role of white skin privilege, and the role of racism in the lives of African and white Americans.

Strategies for Retailing Technologies at Maturity:

Most modern consumer societies make use of retailing technologies. For instance, consider the widespread use of scanning equipment in supermarkets. The banking industry, in particular, has also tried to take advantage of the productivity and customer service gains associated with technology with the provision of ATMs (Automated Telling Machines), which consumers can use to carry out day to day banking transactions. Consumers access these machines by using magnetic stripe plastic cards. However whole these new technologies may offer significant advantages to the consumer, many are unwilling to adopt them. A large number of consumers are resistant to new ways of doing their banking, especially when the new way represents loss of personal contact. This research found that around 60% of card holders are regular users of ATMs. The vast majority of these only withdraw money. This low usage rate suggests a serious misuse of bank resources. Thus, while ATMs are at the maturity stage of the product life cycle, usage rates are still well short of their potential. Are the strategies used in the past necessarily appropriate for the future? When ATMs were launched in the U.S. and U.K., emphasis was on large scale promotional campaigns and lavish giveaways to encourage trial. Such strategies were largely resisted by New Zealand banks, which preferred to adopt a more “soft sell” approach centered on issuing consumers with a card and then letting them adopt ATMs in their own time. This study found that the main reason for consumers not using ATMs was preference for dealing with humans in banking. It is suggested that strategies such as competitions and promotions, which have been used with great frequency in the U.K. and U.S., will not succeed in the future because they do not meet the needs of the laggard group. What is needed, however, is a program, which lets consumers make the transition in their own time. This could be encouraged by increasing the placement of in-branch ATMs. Not only would this give ATMs the image of being “nearly human,” but reluctant consumers could use the ATM with the security of having other bank staff present. This is the strategy, which has been adopted by New Zealand banks, and would appear to have greater potential for success in the longer term. The lesson for suppliers of retailing technology both within and outside the banking industry is clear: the late majority and laggards differ from innovators and early adopters in both their reasons for adopting a technology and their reasons for not adopting a technology. Furthermore, by the time the adoption process has reached the late majority and laggards, it is likely that the innovation is at or near the maturity stage of the product life cycle. Strategies, therefore, must change so that they are more appropriate for the latter stages of both the adoption and product life cycle processes.