A Behavioral Process Approach to Information Acquisition in Nondurable Purchasing

A behavioral process method was used to explore the relationship of individual difference factors to consumer information acquisition behavior. Findings included: (1) the mean proportion of available information actually acquired was 2%, and (2) information search was concentrated on six of the 35 available information dimensions; increased information acquisition was related (3) positively to the product's importance for the individual, (4) positively to being an optimizer rather than a satisficer, (5) positively to high amounts of past purchasing experience with the product, and (6) negatively to attitudinal brand loyalty.