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Durable goods buyers’ prepurchase information search activities were studied to determine whether distinctive patterns of information source usage could be identified. A method based on canonical analysis of retail, neutral, and personal source usage measures in conjunction with selected explanatory variables proved useful in distinguishing four different patterns. Tradeoffs were evident in the usage of and reliance on different information sources. The results emphasize the need for further study of consumer information need and information-gathering abilities.
Westbrook et al. (1979) studied this question.