Consumer Motivation Flashcards

Flashcards on Consumer Motivation based on lecture notes.

Motivation

The processes that lead people to behave as they do. Motivation occurs when a need that the consumer wishes to satisfy is aroused, driving them to seek ways to reduce the tension caused by the need. This can influence a variety of behaviors, including product purchasing and brand loyalty.

Motivation

The reason for acting or behaving in a particular way. It either pulls a person towards something desirable (like a promotion or reward), or pushes a person away from something undesirable (like discomfort or loss). Understanding these motivational factors can help in predicting consumer behavior.

Motivation

A series of conscious or unconscious behavioural responses that lead us to attempt to attain goals by comparing our current state with a desired end state. This comparison and the subsequent drive to close the gap between the two states, fuel decision-making processes and actions.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943, it posits that humans have universal needs they must fulfill, ranging from basic physiological and safety needs to higher-level needs like love, esteem, or self-fulfillment. These needs are often depicted as a pyramid, with the most fundamental needs at the bottom.

Physiological Needs

Need for water, food, sex, and sleep, relating to the biological functioning of the body. These are the most basic needs and must be satisfied before an individual can focus on higher-level needs.

Safety Needs

Needs for both physical and psychological safety, including a safe place to stay, job security, and freedom from abuse. These needs involve establishing stability and protection in one's environment.

Social Needs

The need to belong and to be accepted by others, which are satisfied through seeking companionship through relationships, friendships, or group affiliations. These needs drive us to seek meaningful connections and belonging.

Ego/Esteem Needs

The need to acquire self-esteem and to be ambitious, seeking recognition, self-respect, and confidence. These needs reflect our desire for competence and respect from ourselves and others.

Self-actualisation Needs

The need to give back to society, being creative and spontaneous, and fulfilling one’s potential. This level represents the realization of one's full potential and the pursuit of personal growth.

McClelland’s Need Theory

Identified three motivators or desires individuals have: need for Achievement (nACH), need for Affiliation (nAFF), and need for Power (nPOW). Motivational needs are learned throughout a person’s life and can vary significantly from one individual to another.

Need for Affiliation (nAFF)

The individual wants to belong to the group, be liked, favors collaboration over competition, and avoids high risk or uncertainty. These individuals thrive in cooperative environments and prioritize harmonious relationships.

Need for Achievement (nACH)

The individual has a strong need to set and accomplish challenging goals, takes calculated risks, likes regular feedback, and often prefers working alone. Their motivation comes from achieving and exceeding personal goals.

Need for Power (nPOW)

This individual wants to control, encourage, and influence others, likes to win arguments and enjoys competition, status, and recognition. They tend to seek leadership roles and enjoy having authority.

Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

States that a person's motivation is directly tied to an expected outcome as a result of their hard work and labour. Motivation is based on the results a person expects from an action and involves expectancy, instrumentality, and valence.

EXPECTANCY

Your belief that your effort will lead to an expected level of performance, which is affected by skills, resources, and information, as well as perceived future growth. The higher the expectancy, the higher the motivation because individuals believe they can achieve the desired performance level.

INSTRUMENTALITY

Your belief that your performance will result in the reward you want, which means the faith that increased levels of performance will result in the outcome or goal you want. This relates to the trust that performance will indeed lead to the promised rewards.

VALENCE

Your motivation is directly affected by how much you want a reward; it measures the weight a consumer places on an outcome or goal. Essentially, valence describes how badly a consumer wants something, influencing their drive toward achieving it.

Adam’s Equity Theory

People compare their inputs and outcomes to those of their colleagues or peers. To be motivated, individuals need to perceive that the rewards they receive for their contributions are fair relative to others. Inequity can lead to demotivation.

INPUTS

The contributions made by an individual to their job, including effort, experience, skills, educational qualifications, time, and dedication. Inputs are what an individual invests in their work.

OUTPUTS

What’s received in return for their contributions, encompassing rewards, recognition, job security, status, and opportunities. Outputs are the results or compensations an individual receives.

RATIONAL MOTIVES

Focus on facts, logic, durability, and quality. Consumers with rational motives carefully consider attributes and make decisions based on objective criteria.

EMOTIONAL MOTIVES

Focus on subjective criteria such as fun, pleasure and beauty. These motives are driven by feelings and personal enjoyment rather than practical considerations.

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Motivation from within, deriving satisfaction from the activity itself rather than external rewards. This type of motivation is driven by personal interest and enjoyment.

EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Motivation from external rewards, driven by the desire to gain external incentives or avoid punishments. These incentives can include money, praise, or recognition.

CONSCIOUS MOTIVE

Knowledge of the fact that the purchase will be made, representing a clear and deliberate intention to buy. Consumers are fully aware of their reasons for making a purchase.

UNCONSCIOUS MOTIVE

A trigger that may highlight the need to buy, often operating below the level of awareness and influencing purchasing decisions without the consumer fully realizing it. These motives can be subtle or subconscious.

Positive Influences

Positive influences push consumers towards certain behaviours, driven by the anticipation of beneficial outcomes or rewards. This can include incentives, promotions, or desired experiences.

Negative Influences

Motivate the consumer to avoid negative consequences, driven by the desire to prevent potential losses, risks, or undesirable outcomes. This often involves insurance, safety measures, or cautionary purchases.

Motivational Conflicts

Involve situations where individuals face competing desires or goals, leading to internal tension and difficulty in making decisions. These conflicts can be approach-approach, approach-avoidance, or avoidance-avoidance.