Information search patterns for gift purchases: A cross-national examination of gender differences.

This exploratory study examines the underlying determinants as well as the dimensionality of in-store information searches for a Christmas clothing gift, focusing specifically on the differential effect of gender on information acquisition. A self-administered survey, containing personality, situational and standard demographic measures, was administered to actual consumers in three Western countries, shortly after the Christmas season. Confirmatory factor analysis verified that in-store information is indeed a multidimensional construct, composed of three distinct factors: macro information search, micro information search and salesperson help. Consistent with expectations, compared to males, females tended to acquire macro and micro information to a greater extent; males were more apt to seek the assistance of store sales personnel than females. This pattern was generally robust across the three countries. Other observed gender and/or country-sample differences are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]