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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nomological net of the construct of the centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA).

A hierarchical model of personality is employed to investigate the nomological net of CVPA. The hierarchical model incorporates both trait antecedents (e.g. the traits of need for material resources, the need for uniqueness, and openness to experience) as well as value antecedents (the values of science importance, liberalism, and conservatism). In addition, the model includes three expected consequences of CVPA not previously investigated in the literature. Data were collected from a survey of 542 adult consumers who were broadly representative of the population of the USA.

The findings identified six significant antecedents of CVPA: need for uniqueness, conservative values, liberal values, science values, openness to experience, and material needs. In addition, CVPA was positively related to individuals' interest in representational art, abstract art, and environmental concern.

The paper advances theory by proposing how traits and values work together to influence behavior. It advances understanding of CVPA by showing that a concern for visual aesthetics influences attitudes that extend beyond product aesthetics to a concern for the environment. Finally, methodological issues in identifying a construct's nomological net, as well as the study's managerial contributions, are discussed.

Proposes and tests a new approach for developing message themes and segmenting markets, termed the message development through personality segmentation – MDPS. This new tool, based on Mowen’s 3M model of motivation and personality, is used to identify a network of key personality traits that may be used as segmentation and message development variables. The approach addresses several criticisms that have been leveled against personality research in marketing. The approach includes four distinct steps that managers can follow to create message themes and segment markets based on motivational networks of personality traits. Provides an empirical example that tests the process in an automotive industry context.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the functional motive and trait antecedents of four forms of gambling – slot machines, skilled card games, sports betting, and participating in marketing promotional games such as sweepstakes and contests.

A hierarchical model of motivation and personality (3M model) was employed to investigate the trait and functional motive antecedents of four gambling activities. Five motives for gambling were identified – money, excitement, social interaction, escape from problems, and self‐esteem enhancement. In addition, the effects of demographic variables (i.e. age, gender, and education) on four gambling types were examined. A total of 1,158 responses were collected from an online consumer panel.

The results suggest that the four forms of gambling have divergent motives, traits, and demographic profiles.

Future research should further explore other possible traits in predicting different gambling activities (e.g. superstitious beliefs). Another limitation of the study is the online panel sample, which is somewhat older and more highly educated than the general public.

The findings will help marketers better segment the market based on unique profiles of personality traits, functional motives, and demographic variables associated with each gambling type and design communication strategies to reach the targeted consumers.

Previous researchers have neither investigated the functional motives for gambling nor compared the motives for divergent forms of gambling. This research employs a hierarchical model (3M model) to investigate the trait and functional motive predictors of multiple forms of gambling.

This article proposes that consumer purchase behavior may be viewed from three perspectives — the decision making, the experiential, and the behavioral influence. The decision‐making perspective holds that buying behavior results from consumers' engaging in a problem‐solving task in which they move through a series of stages. The experiential perspective argues that in certain instances consumers make purchases in order to create feelings, experiences, and emotions rather than to solve problems. The behavioral influence approach proposes that in other instances consumers act in response to environmental pressures. Each approach can be linked to the predominant effect of one of the three components of the classic hierarchy of effects. Managerial implications of the three perspectives on consumer buying behavior are discussed.

In this research urban legends are viewed as diffusing through the consumer environment as part of a resource exchange process. Using the 3M model to develop categories of analysis, a content analysis of 100 urban legends was conducted. Three categories of variables were coded: the resource types depicted as exchanged in the stories; whether the resources were gained or lost; and whether the resources were gained or lost before or after the ironic twist. Results of this descriptive study supported the research question of a three‐way interaction among the variables. Results are discussed from the perspective of identifying the motivational factors that influence consumers to communicate urban legends, rumors, and product information.

Using the work of earlier human needs researchers as a theoretical base, the Consumer Resource Exchange Model (CREM) has been developed. The model is based upon the concept that consumers seek to manage four fundamental resources in order to satisfy their needs. This paper is a partial replication of earlier work on the CREM and extends the stream of research to a diverse sample of “real world” consumers. The results of the study provided support for the dimensions of the model and the construct validity of a related paper and pencil assessment instrument.

In the globalization age, with worldwide increases in dual income households, decision‐making has become more difficult and even more important than in the past. In this article, a five‐countries cross ‐ cultural comparisons of husband and wife decision‐making roles in the purchase of various goods and services in unlike environments is presented. Despite substantial cultural variation, there are surprisingly high degrees of similarities in family purchasing decision roles among the five countries. This study provides insights for managerial and public policy makers on the implications of cross‐cultural similarities and differences in consumer decision‐making.

An experiment was conducted to examine the relationship between patient satisfaction and patients’ freedom to choose a physician and the outcome of a health service encounter. Each construct with corresponding measurements is discussed and their relationship with satisfaction is reviewed. Hypotheses were developed and tested for each relationship using pencil and paper scenarios of a patient’s service encounter at a health clinic. The study yielded four major findings. First, patients who experienced a good health outcome were significantly more satisfied than patients who received a bad health outcome. Second, patient satisfaction ratings differed significantly only in the bad outcome condition, suggesting an outcome bias. Third, patients who were given the freedom to select a physician but did not receive their chosen physician were least satisfied. Fourth, there was no difference in satisfaction between patients who had a choice of physician and those who did not.