Consumer behavior

Personality:
One individual is different from the other in personality. It is one of the factors that
influence ones behavior in the marketplace. What a consumer purchases,
When and how he purchases are influenced by his personality type. That is why
marketers are interested in understanding the meaning of personality and traits of
personality as well as identifying how these traits affect consumer behavior.
Personality can be defined as those inner psychological characteristics that both
determine and reflect how a person responds to his or her environment.
According to some, personality of an individual is sum total of his hereditary
characteristics and childhood experiences.
To others, it is the result of the social and environmental influences on the person
concerned.
The nature of personality:
In the study of personality, three distinct properties are of central importance;
i)
Personality reflects individual difference
ii)
Personality is consistent and enduring
iii)
Personality can change.
Personality reflects individual differences:
No one is like the others in the earth. There may be similarities on certain
dimensions of personality traits. For instances, some people can be described as high in
venturesomeness, whereas other can be described as low in venturesomeness. Thus using
the personality concept, we can categories consumers into different groups and can
segment the market and develop different types of products for different personality
types. If each person were different in terms of all personality traits, it would be
impossible to group consumers into segments, and there would be little reason for
marketers to develop products and promotional campaigns targeted to particular
segments.
Personality is consist and enduring:
An individuals personality tends to be both consistent and enduring. It means that
personality of an individual does not change in a short time span. Both qualities are
essential if marketers are to explain or predict consumer behavior in terms of personality.
Although marketers cannot change consumers personalities to conform to their products,
if they know which personality characteristics influence specific consumer responses,
they can attempt to appeal to the relevant traits inherent in their target group of consumer.
Personality is one of a combination of factors that influence how a consumer behaves.

Personality can change:

Personality of a person may change as the circumstance changes. For examples, an
individuals personality may be altered by major life events such as marriage, the birth of
a child, the death of a parent or change of job or profession. His personality may also
change with the elapse of time as he gradually becomes mature because of his exposures
to new things or acquisition of new experiences.

Theories of personality:
There are quite a few theories of personality developed by the researchers based on their
own interpretation of personality traits. Since there is no universally accepted theory on
personality, here we will discuss a theory name Freudian Theory.
Freudian theory:
The most widely used theory of personality is one developed by Sigmund Freud.
Sigmund Freuds psychoanalytic theory of personality is a cornerstone of modern
psychology. This theory was built on the premise that unconscious needs or drives,
especially sexual and other biological drives are at the heart of human motivations and
personality.
Freud believes that there are three forces that work in an individuals psyche.
They are
i)
ID
ii)
The Superego
iii)
The ego
He thought that an individuals personality is determined by the interaction of the id,
superego and the ego.
The id: ID includes the instincts and is present at birth. Id includes the basic
physiological needs such as thirst, hunger and sex-for which individual seeks satisfaction
without concern for the specific means of satisfaction.
The Superego: the inhibits the impulses of the id and influence the individual toward
conforming to all of the moral principles. The superego is conceptualized as the
individuals internal expression of societys moral and ethical codes of conduct. The
superegos role is to see that the individual satisfies needs in a socially acceptable
fashion. Thus the superego is a kind of brake that restraints or inhibits the impulsive
forces of the id.
The ego: finally ego is the individuals conscious control. It functions as an internal
monitor that attempts to balance the impulsive demands of the id and the sociocultural
constraints of the superego. The following figure shows the interrelationships among the
three distinct interacting systems.
He also believed that an individuals personality is formed as he or she passes through a
number of distinct stages of infant and childhood development. One personality develops
on the basis of the amount of frustration and anxiety he faces at each of these stages. The
stages identified by Freud are
i)
oral
ii)
anal
iii)
phallic
iv)
latent
v)
genital stages
According to Freudian theory, an adults personality is determined by how well he or she
deals with the crises that are experienced while passing through each of these stages. The

oral stages start from the birth and continue approximately up to eighteen months. The
basically eats, sucks and swallows during this stage. If he experiences excessive anxiety
and frustration and cannot cope up with the situation. He becomes either talkative,
selfish, passive or greedy or all at a time.

Gratification

ID
System

Ego
System

Superego
system