The Role of Demographics on the Susceptibility to Social Influence: A Pretest Study

This study investigates the role of demographics, specifically gender, on susceptibility to three social influence types for certain products. Data were collected in two stages from business students at a large university. Analyses were performed at the construct and product levels. At the construct level, marital status and living situation were found to be the significant demographics for both informative and normative influences. At the product level, gender, ethnicity, marital status, and living situation were found to be influential demographics for both informative and normative influences. The hypotheses are supported for certain demographics and products. Limitations and suggestions are discussed.