A Cross-Cultural Study of Consumer Attitudes and Emotional Responses of Apparel Purchase Behavior

• Other Authors: Wang, Yun (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Merchandising
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-1256

From the early presentation by Rosenberg and Hovland (1960), three components- affect, cognition and conation- of attitude are introduced. Moreover, attitude is a result of learning and is strongly influenced by personal experience, family and friends, and marketing strategy. Several studies have provided support for the interrelated nature of these affective, cognitive and conative attitudinal components (Fishbein & Ajzen 1975, Hilgard 1980, Breckler & Wiggins 1989, Miniard & Barone 1997). Some research includes additional variables in models for consumer purchase behavior such as social factors, situational or personal control, and advertising and brand attitude. This research utilized the Triandis behavioral model and Fishbein and Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action as a framework to exam consumers' apparel purchase behavior. Triandis's model treats attitude toward the act and social-normative considerations as determinants of intentions. However, departing from the TRA model, Triandis separates attitude toward the act into two terms: affect toward the act and the value of the perceived consequences of the act. Instead of testing Triandis model's broadest constructs, this research presents a general framework focus on the subset of the model that includes the variables that are the most relevant to explaining consumers' apparel purchase intention. The purpose of this study was to examine the emotional responses while consumers are shopping, consumer attitudes toward apparel shopping, subjective norms, individual differences, and demographic factors for U.S. and Taiwan consumers' apparel purchase intentions and purchase behavior. The results indicated that the emotions while consumers are shopping for apparel have an effect on consumers' apparel purchase intention in both U.S. and Taiwan consumers. Consumer attitude toward apparel shopping had a significant effect on Taiwan consumers' apparel purchase intention, but not on U.S. consumers. Another finding was the subjective norm had a positive effect on consumers' apparel purchase intention for U.S. consumers, but not for Taiwan consumers. Consumers' purchase intention mediates between the purchase antecedent variables, attitude, emotion, and subjective norm, and apparel purchase behavior in both U.S. and Taiwan consumers. Since the study found consumers' emotional responses while shopping had an effect on consumer's apparel purchase intention, the Triandis model, which states that the attitude toward the act, social-normative, and affect toward the act are the determinants of consumer purchase intention (Triandis, 1982), was supported. The result of this research found the Triandis Model can predict consumer apparel purchase intention more accurately than the TRA model. Other results found in this research were the consumers' need for emotion had a moderating effect on apparel purchase intention and negative emotions when consumers are shopping for U.S. consumers. The U.S. respondents who had high need for emotion and low negative emotional responses held the highest level of purchase intention. On the other hand, the lowest level of consumer purchase intention was held by those consumers who had a high need for emotion and high negative emotional responses. In Taiwan, respondents who had low apparel involvement and low positive emotional responses held the highest level of purchase intention. Conversely, the lowest level of consumer purchase intention was held by those with low apparel involvement and high positive emotions while consumers are shopping for apparel in Taiwan. === A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Textiles and Consumer Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctorate of Philosophy. === Spring Semester, 2006. === March 20, 2006. === Consumer Attitudes, A Cross-cultural, Apparel Purchase, Emotional Responses === Includes bibliographical references. === Jeanne Heitmeyer, Professor Directing Dissertation; Leisa Flynn, Outside Committee Member; Susan S. Fiorito, Committee Member; Bonnie Greenwood, Committee Member.