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Abstract:

Does one’s religious and spiritual orientation influence his or her behavior in marketplace? A verdict is not clear. This exploratory study presents the results of a religious orientation survey administered using an online panel. The results show that well-developed measures of religious orientation (internal, external, and interactional – Batson and Ventis (1982)) are related to how Americans buy and consume. Those with a strong internal orientation tend to behave in ways consistent with doctrine, and therefore avoid proscribed products and services, and avoid purchasing from companies who appear to violate their doctrine. Those with a strong external orientation tend to behave in ways consistent with the expectations of co-religionists, and tend to avoid proscribed products and services. Those with a strong interactional orientation tend to be non-doctrinal seekers, and thus tend to look for positive and negative effects of their purchases in the environment when deciding how to purchase and consume. Finally, those who are low on all three orientations, and are thus neither religious nor spiritual, claim no effect on their purchases and consumption. These results call for further research by both academics and practical researchers on the effect of religious beliefs and spiritual seeking on consumer behavior.

Recommended Citation:

Rao, K., Ball, D., & Hampton, R. (2006). Modes of Religious and Spiritual Orientation and their Relationships to Consumer Behavior. Paper presented at the American Association of Public Opinion Research, Montreal.

Attached Documents:

• AAPOR 2006 Program (see page #10 for the mention)
• For a copy of this paper, please send me a comment with your email address in the box below.