Content area
Abstract
This study examines the interconnections between anticipatory socialization, personality, marketplace behaviors, and communication patterns and preferences in an attempt to establish anticipatory socialization as the link between an individual's social tendencies on the one hand and his/her marketplace and communication behaviors on the other. Anticipatory socialization is conceptually defined as the extent to which an individual intends to behave in accordance with product consumption norms and expectations for a specific life stage. It is presented as a temporary, transitional phenomenon characterized by high levels of importance attached to purchasing the right brands (i.e., the belief that early career success will depend on purchasing the right brands or styles), high levels of purchase intentions for standard package items, and high levels of anticipatory purchasing. An underlying assumption of this conceptual definition is that marketplace behaviors and communication patterns change during life-stage transitions.
Although this study did not find evidence of a relationship between personality and anticipatory socialization, it did find support for the hypothesized relationships between anticipatory socialization and communication patterns and preferences. The results also suggest a strong positive relationship exists between anticipatory socialization and changes in marketplace behaviors. As a consequence, anticipatory socialization appears to have managerial implications for consumer segmentation and promotional strategies, for product and service development, and for an improved understanding of the consumer's information-gathering strategies in the marketplace.
