Content area
Abstract
The overall purpose of this study was to understand more fully consumer involvement and the validity of selected involvement measures on the product class level. Construct, predictive, and nomological validities were assessed for six antecedent involvement and two consequent involvement measures using two cosmetic products: lipstick and nail polish.
Surveys were administered to college women in home economics and business classes. The study employed a randomized complete block experimental design, using order of involvement scale presentation for a particular class as the blocking variable, with a split-plot treatment arrangement to incorporate the sequence of products. Measures of self esteem, evaluation apprehension (public self-consciousness and social anxiety) and product behavior were also obtained.
Composite antecedent involvement and consequent involvement measures were determined to have convergent and discriminant validity. Composite antecedent measures were tested for multidimensionality. Those determined to be multidimensional were tested as separate antecedent submeasures for the rest of the study. Multiple antecedent facets were found for several measures, including importance, risk (subjective risk and risk importance), and sign-symbolic-social. However, emotion and importance facets loaded together for these cosmetic products.
Evaluation apprehension measures were determined to be more important moderating variables for antecedent involvement than were self esteem measures. Antecedent and consequent involvement measures tended to exhibit construct validity; however, some sign-symbolic-social measures had difficulty discriminating from importance/importance-emotion measures.
Either in composite or subscale form, all measures could discriminate cosmetic involvement. Discriminating cosmetic involvement differences between home economics majors versus other majors was more difficult for these measures to predict. Greatest nomological validity was exhibited by antecedent involvement measures' relationship to product behavior. Support for the validity of the involvement measures is compared, evaluated, from which implications to consumer involvement theory are discussed, and limitations of this study are presented.
