Abstract
The study examines the relationship between individual attitudes on a “materialism — postmaterialism” scale and the consumption level of the household in which the interviewed individuals live. The study was based on oral interviews of a representative sample of Austrians. It provides cross-sectional data, and hence can indicate differences in values, but not really value changes.
The results achieved at the total aggregate level were very plausible: The “postmaterialists” have a higher standard of living than the “materialists,” although their attitudes tend to have the effect of lowering the level of consumption.
When dividing the total sample into subgroups it appears, however, that the results are not very clear-cut: The interrelationship between attitudes and consumer behaviour is far more complex than the model assumptions could account for.
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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Lassnigg, L. (1989). The “New Values” and Consumer Behaviour — Some Empirical Findings From Austria. In: Grunert, K.G., Ölander, F. (eds) Understanding Economic Behaviour. Theory and Decision Library, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2470-3_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2470-3_19
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7614-2
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