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A longitudinal study of the effects of life status changes on changes in consumer preferences

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Abstract

Marketers and consumer researchers have maintained a long-standing interest in understanding continuities and changes in consumer preferences. The present research attempts to provide explanations for stability and changes in consumption patterns by presenting a theoretical framework according to which the results of previous studies may be recast and further research advanced. The authors develop hypotheses and test them with retrospective and longitudinal data, using alternate measures of key variables. The authors suggest implications of the study findings for marketers and theory development, and they provide directions for future research.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Fran H. Norris for her helpful suggestions at early stages of this research; Danny N. Bellenger for his comments on early drafts; the assistance of four anonymous JAMS reviewers; and Sharon Sullivan for her help in preparing this manuscript. This research was supported in part by a summer research grant to the first author from the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, Hofstra University.

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Correspondence to Anil Mathur.

Appendices

Appendix A

Table 3 Items used in life event scales

Appendix B

Table 4 Items used in the scale of consumption-coping behaviors suggested by previous research

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Mathur, A., Moschis, G.P. & Lee, E. A longitudinal study of the effects of life status changes on changes in consumer preferences. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 36, 234–246 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-007-0021-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-007-0021-9

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