ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces a motivational approach in which personality or lifestyle traits are used to explain why consumers hold specific consumption beliefs. The premise is that understanding why these beliefs are held will enable marketers to develop more effective strategies for forming, maintaining, and changing these beliefs. The chapter provides a background on how marketers have traditionally used personality traits and consumption beliefs to examine consumer behaviors. An integrative model is then developed in which lifestyle traits are hypothesized to influence beliefs which in turn influence consumption behaviors; this theoretical model is empirically tested and replicated. The simultaneous examination of lifestyle traits and consumption beliefs is compatible with the practice of collecting both lifestyle and belief information. Finally, it discusses the implications for developing more effective marketing communication programs and avenues for future research. Lifestyle research has characterized heavy beer drinkers as being more macho and personality research frequently links male aggression to heavy alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse problems.
