The study of consumer behaviour involves searching for consistencies and patterns in the actions of consumers to aid in understanding their decision-making process. Part of this is accomplished through assigning characteristics to different groups of consumers. However, there are many times when one’s buying behaviour changes with the context, ultimately making it difficult to make generalizations. Therefore, there is always room for bias, especially where the idea of self-monitoring comes in.
Many individuals behave in a different manner around family, friends, co-workers, and the general public. Some do this subconsciously, but others do it in an effort to keep certain parts of their personality “hidden” from others. In an environment where a person’s behaviour in one setting is not consistent with that in another setting, it becomes difficult for market researchers to decode what a person’s actions truly indicate. For instance, a woman might be inclined to buy a certain brand of shoes when out shopping with her friends, to keep up with their “standards” and tastes. When shopping alone, however, the same woman might choose to spend her money on some other brand that she likes, even though her friends might not consider it stylish. It is a challenge for external sources to determine what her tastes truly are.
Overall, if a researcher is trying to document consistencies in consumer behaviour, this attempt is clearly distorted in cases where people are high self-monitors. High self-monitors are especially difficult to analyze, because of their variability between different contexts. If consumers are able to pass off any behaviour as “normal”, the research methods end up having to be more sophisticated in order to reduce the level of bias.
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