The Psychology of Consumer Behavior

10 The Social Context

The social context refers to the totality of social stimulation that is influencing the individual. This can include the real, imagined, or implied presence of others (e.g., Baron & Byrne, 1987). The social context may be composed of friends, family members, and sales personnel (although discussion of sales personnel is postponed until chapter 12). The social context may also be populated by more indirect, symbolic others, including prominent figures, cultural heroes, and cartoon characters.

The general model of consumer behavior presented in Fig. 1.1 portrays the stimulus situation, the internal processes, intention, behavior, and all of their interactions as being immersed in this social context. The effect of the social ...