Cognition and Shopping Choice: A Multidimensional Scaling Approach

Abstract

Interest in cognitive approaches has led to a need for means of ascertaining individual perceptions with a view to relating these to spatial behaviour. Yet such methods as the repertory grid, although invaluable for investigating individuals, make comparisons across a wider group difficult. The multidimensional scaling program PREFMAP possesses this facility through its assumption of a group cognitive space whose dimensions, while common to all, have different saliences for different individuals. This study tests the feasibility of using PREFMAP to study perceived attributes of shopping centres. A broad, though not exact, commonality of dimensions appears to exist. Values of subjects' saliences on PREFMAP dimensions are further shown to be related to variations in shopping behaviour, but until multidimensional scaling can be related to a theory of cognition it will not realise its potential for behavioural studies.

The Perception of Spatial Inequalities in a Traditional Third World City

“…Although this possibility is opened up by the method, no study has utilised it, previous MDS analyses having been restricted to studies of hazard perception (Odemerho, 1984), shopping behaviour (Spencer, 1980), and neighbourhood facilities, meanings, perceptions and preferences (Hourihan, 1979 ;Mueller, 1981) . The present work, drawn from the traditional city of Ibadan, explores the value of MDS in evaluating spatial inequalities from the viewpoint of the population .…”

Advance in Environment, Behavior, and Design

“…The former group of factors appeared to be more important than the latter. Some subsequent studies have used the repertory grid (e.g., Hudson, 1974;Timmermans, van der Heijden, & Westerveld, 1982a) and MDS of similarity, dissimilarity, or preference ratings (e.g., Spencer, 1980). Results similar to those of Downs (1970) have been obtained with these techniques, which do not presuppose that attributes are specified in advance.…”

Exploring Entrepreneurial Cognitions of Retail Environments

“…Some of the major work in this area has been undertaken by Spencer who suggested that dimensions associated with price, shopping center size, and location are important with regard to consumers images of retail environments [24]. In a subsequent study [25], he investigated how easily MDS data could be gathered in the field, and tested the degree to which measures of individual variation in cognition could be related to variations in spatial behavior. He indicated that while scaling is currently not adequately related to any underlying theory of cognition, it nonetheless offers a means by which individual and group cognitions of the retail environment can be related and analyzed with minimal bias.…”