On the meaning and measurement of religiosity in consumer research

Religiosity generally has not been considered an important variable in consumer research. However, religion may influence lifestyle choices and, therefore, consumption patterns significantly. The effective measurement of religiosity and the lifestyle impacts of religious commitment were explored. A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 1986-04, Vol.14 (1), p.47-56
Main Authors: Wilkes, Robert E, Burnett, John J, Howell, Roy D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Consumer behavior
Lifestyles
Religion
Statistical analysis
Studies
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Summary:Religiosity generally has not been considered an important variable in consumer research. However, religion may influence lifestyle choices and, therefore, consumption patterns significantly. The effective measurement of religiosity and the lifestyle impacts of religious commitment were explored. A total of 602 mostly Protestant consumers responded to a survey measuring: 1. their church attendance, 2. the importance they attached to religious values, 3. their confidence in religious values, and 4. their levels of self-perceived religiousness. In addition, demographic data were obtained from respondents, along with measures of lifestyle orientation of interest to consumer research. When age, income, and sex were controlled, high religiosity was found to be related significantly to life satisfaction, traditional sex-role orientation, and opinion leadership, and somewhat related to low credit use and national brand preferences. Used alone, church attendance was an inadequate measure of religiosity.
ISSN:0092-0703
1552-7824
DOI:10.1007/BF02722112