The Role of Labeling Processes in Elderly Consumers' Responses to Age Segmentation Cues

Kelly Tepper

Journal of Consumer Research, 1994, vol. 20, issue 4, 503-19

Abstract: This investigation explores labeling processes underlying age segmentation cue effects on discount usage intentions. Depth interviews regarding participants' experiences using senior-citizen-type discounts reveal three levels of responsiveness to consumer offerings promoted with age segmentation cues: rejecting senior citizen discounts to avoid self-devaluation, rejecting senior citizen discounts to avoid stigmatization, and assigning positive meanings to the status that promotes senior citizen discount usage. An experimental investigation, undertaken to assess the sequential ordering of these levels of responsiveness, reveals that self-devaluation and perceived stigma mediate age segmentation cue effects on discount usage intention only for younger-aged elderly. Results lend support for a stage model of consumers' progression through phases of responsiveness to "senior citizen" labeling. Copyright 1994 by the University of Chicago.

Date: 1994
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/209366 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:20:y:1994:i:4:p:503-19

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Consumer Research is currently edited by Bernd Schmitt, June Cotte, Markus Giesler, Andrew Stephen and Stacy Wood

More articles in Journal of Consumer Research from Journal of Consumer Research Inc.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().