Chapter 9
Consumer
Behavior
Chapter Objectives
1. Describe the concepts of socialization,
involvement, and commitment
2. Define motivation and apply it to sport
participation and spectating
3. Explain the different motivation factors
4. Outline the decision-making process in
the purchasing decision by sport
participants and spectators
Consumption Factors: Socialization
• Socialization is defined as "the process whereby
individuals learn skills, traits, values, attitudes,
norms, and knowledge associated with the
performance of present or anticipated social roles"
(McPherson & Brown, 1988, p.267).
• How an individual is introduced to sport can
influence his/her future involvement in and
commitment to sport and sport events.
Consumption Factors: Involvement
• Consumer involvement is a blend of the individual’s
interest in sport and the degree of importance sport
has in his or her life.
• Typically, individuals can be involved in sport in one
of three ways:
– Cognitively
– Emotionally
– Behaviorally
Consumption Factors: Commitment
• The more an individual becomes involved in sport,
the more committed they grow, thereby increasing the
frequency, duration, and intensity of their attachment.
• The more highly identified the person (as a
participant or fan), the more central that identity
becomes to the individual.
Motivating Factors: Organizational
• How the organizational factors are perceived
by the attendee, such as how well the
organization is prepared to stage the event, can
influence participation choices.
• The organizational components of the facility
and/or the infrastructure and inter-structure of
the event can also impact perception.
Motivating Factors:
Environmental/Destination
• The attractiveness of a destination or the
environment in which an event is hosted may
impact individuals’ motivations to attend or
participate in an event.
• Accommodation and entertainment quality,
perceived value, friendly community, and the
physical environment can affect the motivation
levels to participate in a sport event.
• The topography of the location or the
challenge created by the destination may also
provide a source of motivation.
Motivating Factors: Social/Group
• Social identities provide individuals with a
sense of belongingness or membership to a
wider social group.
• As a person becomes more involved and
committed to sport, leisure, and recreation,
these contexts may subsequently form
stronger, more valued social identities for
those individuals.
• The majority of participants in large sporting
events as well as spectators engage in their
sport with someone else rather than alone.
Motivating Factors: Competitive
• The factors associated with competition can
be described as the desire to enter into a
rivalry or event in order to measure ability in
relation to another (McDonald, Milne, &
Hong, 2002).
• Selecting events based on the level of
competition is a consistent motivating factor
for sport participants.
Motivating Factors: Mastery
• Individuals who are driven by skill
development, learning, and personal
challenge are more interested in the intrinsic
factors associated with sport participation.
• The individual driven by mastery is typically
interested in self-competition, not winning.
• The final outcome is about the personal
challenge and accomplishment, not the
external rewards.
Motivating Factors: Emotional
• The emotional motivation factors include
excitement, enjoyment, and self-fulfillment
individuals’ gain from participating in sport.
• Emotional factors can be further subdivided
into:
– Escapism
– Nostalgia
– Enjoyment
Motivating Factors: Learning
• The desire to learn about or explore the
facility or destination may enhance
individuals’ motivation to select an event.
• International sport tourists typically want to
learn the culture of the host country when
they attend these mega events (Funk &
Bruun, 2007).
The Decision-Making Process
• The decision-making process can be as complex
or as simple as the product, good, or service the
person is purchasing (Blythe, 2013).
• The amount of time it takes an individual to
complete the decision-making process will
fluctuate depending on the complexity of
factors.
• Blackwell, Mianiard, and Engel (2005) outlined
seven stages in the consumer decision process
(CDP) model: need recognition, search for
information, pre-purchase evaluation of
alternatives, purchase, consumption, postconsumption evaluation, and divestment.
CDP Model
1. Need recognition
– Occurs when individuals recognize that
something is missing from their lives
2. Search for information
– Individuals can search for information from a
variety of sources, which may be broadly
categorized as internal (from memory) and
external (from outside sources)
3. Pre-purchase evaluation
– The individual considers the different alternatives
and makes the selection
CDP Model (cont.)
4. Purchase
– The behavior of buying a good or service
5. Consumption
– Once the product has been purchased or
experienced, it has been consumed
6. Post-consumption evaluation
– The evaluation of an event once consumed
7. Divestment
– The disassociation of a product or service