Editing Survey for Study

Author: Sydney Buford | Major: Apparel Merchandising and Product Development | Semester: Spring 2023

My name is Sydney Buford, and I’m an undergraduate Apparel Merchandising and Product Development (AMPD) major within the Dale Bumpers College. My mentor is Dr. Eunjoo Cho, a professor within the department of Human Environmental Sciences. I conducted research during the spring of 2023 and will continue my research during the fall of 2023. I plan to graduate in spring of 2024 and use my research in the apparel market to understand consumer purchase patterns and how to utilize impulse buying behaviors.

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by consumer science and understanding why people make certain purchase decisions. I grew up watching my dad design websites and my stepmom design landscapes and was inspired by the idea that people could be persuaded to make certain decisions because of design choices. I’ve learned about visual merchandising while working in retail and I’ve noticed techniques that companies use when organizing a website or store layout to divert a customer’s attention to certain areas. When I began college, I knew I wanted to research this concept within the apparel market.

When choosing a research mentor this fall, I was drawn to Dr. Cho, someone whose research has always intrigued me. She researches a variety of topics but specializes in consumer marketing and psychology. Despite not having her as a professor yet, I was drawn to her history and decided to reach out about working with her. I’m so glad I took that risk because Dr. Cho has been able to provide amazing insight into a very specific industry that most AMPD professors don’t have a strong background in. After looking at literature in many different areas of consumer psychology, we chose to focus the study on impulse buying, and what factors cause people to make impulse purchases. This past semester, I conducted research for this study, but I began researching the background for the study during the previous semester.

My undergraduate thesis focuses on the impact of various external and internal stimuli on consumers’ impulse purchase behavior. Participants in the study were given a specific apparel webpage to look at, and then took a survey on their impulse tendencies while viewing the website. The project explores the influence of recommended products and photos of customers wearing the product after purchase in addition to hedonic and utilitarian browsing on impulse purchase behavior. The results of this study will contribute to the global knowledge of impulse purchase behavior and factors that influence this behavior. Research on the influence of various stimuli on impulse purchase patterns is essential for marketers and brand owners if they want to increase sales.

Last fall, I focused primarily on study preparation and guidelines. This study uses S-O-R framework in tandem with the Consumption Impulse Formation Enactment (CIFE) model to understand online impulse buying due to their ability to measure the causes behind an individual’s behavior. In the S-O-R model, a stimulus (S) serves as a cause that changes internal states (O) of a consumer. In the current study, the stimuli are recommended products and photos of customers wearing the product after purchase. Internal states cause a response (R), which in this study is an online impulse shopping tendency. The CIFE theory posits that “marketing stimuli” like attractive product presentation, sales promotions, and availability or expected lack in availability of a product serve as antecedents to consumption impulse, or an “irresistible urge to consume”. Using these two models, we created a method to collect data. We decided to produce four websites, each one with different features that may influence impulse purchase tendencies. These were recommended products and photos of customers wearing the product after purchase. Participants either viewed a website with both, none of these, or a mix of the two.

During the spring semester, I created the websites and collected data, which was done through a digital Qualtrics survey and participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of four website designs before taking the survey. Four different websites of the Nike brand were used to collect data. The websites resembled the actual Nike website as closely as possible. In March, we sent out the survey to users of Amazon Mechanical Turk and collected data after survey completion.

Conducting my research this semester while studying abroad in Rome was, although challenging, the perfect immersive experience and a surprisingly great setting for research. Doing my research in a culture that values the fashion industry so much was inspiring. I felt energized by the people I met and the Italian emphasis on consumer satisfaction. I encountered a few challenges like spotty internet and difficulty communicating with my mentor due to the time difference and busy schedules. However, this made me take more ownership of my research and, with the encouragement of Dr. Cho, I was able to continue my research effectively. I was surprised by how few added challenges there were while working so far from my mentor. Studying in another country while conducting research was at times rigorous but very rewarding.

I can’t wait to continue my research this fall back in Fayetteville. I plan to defend my thesis at the beginning of the semester, and I will present my research at the International Textile and Apparel Association Conference in October. Through my Honors College Research Grant, I can seek more research opportunities than what I ever expected, like traveling to Baltimore to share my passion with others. After graduation, I want to continue learning about consumer psychology, ideally starting a career in growth marketing, merchandising, or trend forecasting.