Original scientific paper

TRADITIONAL AND ONLINE CONSUMERS IN CHINA: A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THEIR PERSONALITY TRAITS AND DECISION-MAKING STYLES

Junpeng Zhu ; Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Chinese Ministry of Health and of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
You Xu ; Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Chinese Ministry of Health and of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
Jingyi Huang ; Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Chinese Ministry of Health and of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
Changdar Yeow ; Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Chinese Ministry of Health and of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
Wei Wang orcid.org/0000-0002-6822-8162 ; Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Chinese Ministry of Health and of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China

Abstract

Background: Population of online consumers increases rapidly, but the decision-making styles of online consumers and
psychiatric denominators such as the personality correlates remain unclear.
Subjects and methods: In 196 traditional, and 196 age-, education- and gender-matched online consumers, we have tested the
Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) and the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI).
Results: After exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we have defined a five-factor model CSI with 24 items. Online
consumers scored lower on ZKPQ Neuroticism-Anxiety and higher on Aggression-Hostility than traditional ones did, and scored
higher on CSI Novelty-fashion consciousness and Brand consciousness, and lower on Time consciousness than the traditional
consumers did. ZKPQ Neuroticism-Anxiety was positively correlated with CSI Confused by overchoice in both groups, Sociability
was positively correlated with Novelty-fashion consciousness and negatively with Time consciousness in traditional group, and
Impulsive Sensation Seeking was positively correlated with Novelty-fashion consciousness and Time consciousness in online group.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that, regarding the decision-making styles, online consumers display curiosity that lacks
security and need other ways to improve their social lives. It also calls further designs to address the contributions of other
psychiatric features to the particular decision-making styles in online consumers.

Keywords

China; consumer decision-making style; online shopping; personality Trait

Hrčak ID:

106327

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/106327

Publication date:

20.12.2012.

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