Human values and consumer choice in Australia and Brazil

• Main Authors: Claudio V. Torres, Michael W. Allen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de Brasília
• Series: Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa
• Subjects: consumer choice; human values; product meaning and judgment
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-37722009000400004&lng=en&tlng=en

The present study aimed to determine the effect of cultural differences on consumer behavior. A total of 793 participants (both Brazilians and Australians) were exposed to the Values Scale, the Meaning and Judgment Scale, and measures of car attributes and consumer behavior. There was a main effect of country on cultural patterns such that Australians scored higher on individualism than on collectivism. Australians preferred piecemeal judgment and placed more importance on the product's tangible attributes, whereas Brazilians preferred affective judgment. As predicted, the direct route was stronger for Brazilians than for Australians, who preferred the indirect route. Results are discussed in terms of the ethic validity of the model for individuals who endorse cultural values other than individualism.