Abstract
The purpose of this research is to identify the key conceptual dimensions of product usage, and to develop reliable and valid measures of product usage. Two different methods (a self-report questionnaire and a diary study), two samples, and four consumer durables have been used to develop the measures of usage. The results suggest that usage frequency and usage variety are two critical dimensions of product usage, and that the measures developed in this study for each dimension have high convergent and discriminant validity. The study highlights the importance of investigating usage in the post-purchase context, and helps to identify issues for future research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Belk, Russell W. 1979. “A Free Response Approach to Developing Product-Specific Consumption Situation Taxonomies.” InAnalytical Approaches to Product and Marketing Planning. Ed. Allan D. Shocker. Cambridge, MA: Marketing Science Institute. 177–196.
—, Kenneth D. Bahn, and Robert N. Mayer. 1982. “Developmental Recognition of Consumption Symbolism.”Journal of Consumer Research. 9 (June): 4–17.
Bettman, James R. and C. Whan Park. 1980. “The Effects of Prior Knowledge and Experience and Phase of the Choice Process on Consumer Decision Processes: A Protocol Analysis.”Journal of Consumer Research. 7 (December): 234–248.
Bloch, Peter H. 1981. “An Exploration into the Scaling of Consumers' Involvement with a Product Class.” InAdvances in Consumer Research. Ed. Kent B. Monroe. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research. 8: 61–65.
Dutton, William, Peter Kovaric, and Charles Steinfield. 1985. “Computing in the Home: A Research Paradigm.”Computers and the Social Sciences. 1: 5–18.
Gatignon, Hubert and Thomas S. Robertson. 1985. “A Propositional Inventory for New Diffusion Research.”Journal of Consumer Research 11 (March): 849–867.
Harvey, M. G., and J. T. Rothe. 1986. “Video Cassette Recorders: Their Impact on Viewers and Advertisers.”Journal of Advertising Research. 25(6): 19–27.
Holbrook, Morris B. and Elizabeth C. Hirschman. 1982. “The Experiential Aspects of Consumer Behavior: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun.”Journal of Consumer Research. 9 (September): 132–140.
Johnson, Eric J. and J. Edward Russo. 1984. “Product Familiarity and Learning New Information”,Journal of Consumer Research. 11 (June): 542–550.
Levy, M. R. 1980. “Home video Recorders: A User Study.”Journal of Broadcasting. 24 (3): 327–336.
— 1981. “Home Video Recorders and Time Shifting.”Journalism Quarterly. 58(3): 401–405.
McAlister, Leigh and Edgar Pessemier. 1982. “Variety Seeking Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Review.”Journal of Consumer Research 9 (December): 311–322.
Mentzer, John T., Camille P. Schuster, and David J. Roberts. 1987. “Microcomputer versus Mainframe Usage by Marketing Professionals”.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 15 (Summer): 1–9.
Metzger, G. 1986. “Contam's VCR Research.”Journal of Advertising Research 26 (2): RC8–12.
Potter, S. James, Edward Forrest, Barry S. Sapolsky, and William Ware. 1988. “Segmenting VCR Owners.”Journal of Advertising Research. 28(2): 29–39.
Price, Linda L. and Nancy M. Ridgway. 1983. “Development of a Scale to Measure Use Innovativeness.” InAdvances in Consumer Research. Eds. Richard P. Bagozzi and Alice M. Tybout. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research. 10: 679–684.
Ram, S. and Hyung-Shik Jung. 1989. “The Link Between Involvement, Use Innovativeness and Product Usage.” InAdvances in Consumer Research. Ed. Thomas K. Srull. Hawaii: Association for Consumer Research, 16: 160–166.
Solomon, Michael R. 1983. “The Role of Products as Social Stimuli: A Symbolic Interactionism Perspective.”Journal of Consumer Research. 10 (Dec): 319–329.
Srivastava, Rajendra K., Allan D. Shocker, and George S. Day. 1978. “An Exploratory Study of the Influences of Usage Situation on Perceptions of Product Markets.”Advances in Consumer Research. Ed. Keith Hunt. Chicago: Association for Consumer Research. 5: 32–37.
Stanton, John L. and Louis A. Tucci. 1982. “The Measurement of Consumption: A Comparison of Surveys and Diaries.”Journal of Marketing Research. 14 (May): 274–277.
Sudman, Seymour. 1964a. “On the Accuracy of Recording of Consumer Panels: I.”Journal of Marketing Research. 1 (May): 14–20.
— 1964b. “On the Accuracy of Recording of Consumer Panels: II.”Journal of Marketing Research. 1 (August): 69–83.
Wind, Yoram and D. Lerner. 1979. “On the Measurement of Purchase Data: Surveys Versus Purchase Diaries.”Journal of Marketing Research. 16 (February): 39–47.
Zaichkowsky, Judith Lynne. 1985. “Familiarity: Product Use, Involvement or Expertise?” InAdvances in Consumer Research. Eds. Elizabeth C. Hirschman and Morris B. Holbrook. Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, 12: 296–299.
Zaichkowsky, Judith Lynne. (1988). “What is Familiarity?”Working Paper. Simon Fraser University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ram, S., Jung, HS. The conceptualization and measurement of product usage. JAMS 18, 67–76 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729763
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729763