How does Abstract Reasoning Influence Consumer Buying Motive?

Now-a-days marketers give much more attention to understand their target consumers’ motive more insightfully. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is any influence of abstract reasoning on consumers buying motive. This research was also tried solve the theoretical conflict between ‘theories of multiple intelligence’ (rational motive focused abstract reasoning) versus ‘gestalt principles’ (emotional motive focused abstract reasoning). The subtest ‘Abstract Reasoning’ of Differential Aptitude Test and Consumer Buying Motive Measurement Questionnaire (Roy et. al., 2018) were used in this study with some demographic variables. A total of 406 consumers were conveniently used in this study from three divisions of Bangladesh by following cross-sectional survey research design. We found significant correlations (rpb) exist among the variables. The complete logistic regression model having all the three predictors (abstract reasoning, gender and perceived social status) was statistically significant. We found that a rational consumer has 12.7 times higher abstract reasoning capacity than an emotional consumer. A male consumer is about two times more likely to have rational buying motive than a female consumer. A lower social class consumer is about 2.6 times more likely to have rational motive than upper social class consumers. In consumers motive based utilitarian and affective categories, male consumers differ significantly from female consumers. These findings support ‘dual process theory’ based ‘theories of multiple intelligence’ instead of ‘gestalt principles’. This study unbolts the scope of further research on consumer buying motive.