Relation of the Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence and Pattern of Status Consumption in Citizens of Kashan (2017)

Expended Abstract Introduction: In recent decades, the pattern of consumption and attention to the social and cultural dimensions of consumer behavior has attracted the attention of many of the proprietors of social sciences and cultural studies. In this regard, in the contemporary period, a new phenomenon has emerged that consumption is not needed, rather, is due to other factors such as the acquisition of prestige, the image and influence of others. In Role-Relaxed Consumption, purchase of the product is for personal use only and attention to prestige or image is not transferable by product. These types of consumers are more concerned with the product’s usefulness than its apparent aspect, have a low score in terms of susceptibility to interpersonal influence and disregard social expectations. Susceptibility to interpersonal influence means how much of a person’s purchasing has been mentally and really influenced by others. High-impact people are more likely to be more influential when making purchasing decisions while individuals with low impact scores are more independent in the purchasing decision process. Accordingly, the basic purpose of this paper is to identify the pattern of status consumption as well as how to communicate and interact with each of the variables of individualistic orientation, the influence of individuals and consumption, regardless of their role on the dominant pattern of status consumption in the statistical society studied. Methodology: This study was a social survey and the research data were collected using interview questionnaire technique. In this research, for the purpose of measuring each of the main variables, the related locutions have been used in the form of the Likert Scale. Validity and Reliability of locutions have been examined in the preliminary and final tests by using Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. After data collection, the analysis of the research findings was done using the SPSS computer program and needed statistical activities. In this study, the statistical population of the study consisted of all citizens aged 15 years and older in Kashan in 2017. The sample size of this study was based on the Cochran sampling formula and its maximum application. The exact statistics of the sample size was estimated at 605 people among the citizens after distributing the preliminary questionnaire and estimating the variance of the variables. Results: The results of the research and the statistical activities using the Pearson correlation coefficient confirm that there is a negative and significant relationship between role-relaxed consumption and status consumption and a positive and significant relationship between the variables of individualistic orientation, consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence and amount of role-relaxed consumption. In addition, the results of path analysis show that the variables of role-relaxed consumption, individualistic orientation and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence were influenced by the status consumption variable; -38, 8 and 23.1 percent, respectively.  The result of the study shows that status consumption amount superfluity among role-relaxed consumption people in low, medium and high level was 9.2%, 25.3% and 65.5%, respectively and it decrease by increasing the amount of role-relaxed consumption. The results of statistical activity using Pearson correlation coefficient (r = _0/417 and sig = 0/000) indicate that there is a significant and negative relationship between the two variables at 99% confidence level. In examining the relationship between the degree of individualistic orientation and status consumption, the findings of the research indicate that, the level of status consumption would be increased by increasing the level of individualistic orientation in the manner that status consumption amount superfluity among individualistic orientation people with low frequency was at a rate of 34.1%. This rate has increased to 39.5% among respondents with a high degree of individualistic orientation. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of Pearson correlation coefficient indicated a direct relationship between the two variables (r = 0/133 and sig = 0.001). The result of the study shows that, the level of status consumption among respondents has been increased by increasing the respondent’s consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence in the manner that status consumption amount superfluity among consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence people with low frequency was at a rate of 32.2%. This rate has risen to 36.5% among respondents with a high impact level. The results of Pearson correlation coefficient (r = 0.233 and sig = 0/000) indicate that there is a direct and significant relationship between the level of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence and the level of status consumption. This means that the level of status consumption increases by increasing the level of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence. In sum, the research results are in agreement with the theoretical issues of the experts and the findings of previous research. Based on this, the results of this study showed a negative relationship between the two variables including role- relaxed consumption and status consumption. Many scholars have also emphasized that the level of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence plays very important role in the level of status consumption. In addition, the role of individualistic orientation in the status consumption has been confirmed in the theoretical and research approaches of various scholars. Other researchers in their respective researches also have been approved the relationship between the two variables. According to the results of this study, product prestige is of great importance for sample individuals in choosing and using the goods. In this type of consumer style, the purpose of buying and consuming is acquisition of a status through high value-exchange. Especially in societies which the aristocracy and old rich people have been forced to give power to the new rich. In other words, in this consumer style, goods are valuable and important to create social differences and as agents of communication. Ethical Considerations Funding In the present study, did not have any sponsors Authors’ contributions All authors contributed in designing, running, and writing all parts of the research. Conflicts of interest This article does not conflict with other articles of my. Acknowledgments This article follows the principles of ethics and research and is endorsed by the Bu-Ali Sina University in this regardunder his supervision has written it. The consultant professors in the treatise also contributed effectively to the authors of the paper.