Identify and understand the individual factors that affect consumer buying decisions. Individual factors that affect consumer buying decisions include gender; age and family life-cycle stage; and personality, self-concept, and lifestyle. Beyond obvious physiological differences, men and women differ in their social and economic roles, and that affects consumer buying decisions.

How old a consumer is generally indicates what products he or she may be interested in purchasing. Marketers often define their target markets in terms of consumers' lifecycle stage, following changes in consumers' attitudes and behavioral tendencies as they mature. Finally, certain products and brands reflect consumers' personality, self-concept, and lifestyle.

1. Assume you are involved in the following consumer decision situations:

(a) renting a DVD to watch with your roommates,

(b) choosing a fast-food restaurant to go to with a new friend,

(c) buying a popular music compact disc,

(d) buying jeans to wear to class. List the individual factors that would influence your decision in each situation and explain your responses.