Identification and analysis of the mindsets of consumers in the city of Yazd and providing a typology of their purchasing behavior

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Business Management Department, Faculty of Economics, Management and Accounting, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

2 Prof., Business department, Faculty of Economics, Management and Accounting, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

3 Associate Prof., Business department, Faculty of Economics, Management and Accounting, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

10.22034/jbar.2026.23672.4598

Abstract

Introduction: This study explores the role of motivations and mindsets in shaping consumer purchasing behavior. In today’s highly competitive markets, companies rely on various incentives and options to attract customers, yet many individuals remain unaware of the underlying factors that drive their decisions to buy certain products or services. The shift from producer-oriented to consumer-oriented markets has increased the importance of precisely understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences. Accordingly, consumer spending is not only essential for the survival and growth of businesses but also plays a vital role in supporting macroeconomic dynamics, drawing the attention of researchers, managers, and policymakers. In marketing research, indicators such as customer satisfaction, perceived service quality, and loyalty are often seen as central factors influencing consumer behavior. However, it is still unclear which of these indicators has the strongest effect on spending and purchase decisions. A key concept in this regard is the consumer mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset view human traits as unchangeable, while those with a growth mindset consider learning and improvement valuable, remaining more open to new options and experiences. These psychological differences strongly shape how consumers perceive brands and make choices. Typology serves as a useful tool for classifying and comparing consumer behaviors. Although it risks oversimplifying complex realities, it can enhance our understanding of both similarities and differences. At the same time, an overabundance of choices often creates cognitive load and complicates decision-making. The aim of this research is to design a consumer mindset typology and propose sustainable solutions that help marketers make more effective strategic decisions in complex markets.



Methodology: This study was conducted in a descriptive-analytical manner using a field survey. In the first stage, consumer mindsets were identified through a literature review, and the importance of each mindset was determined using expert opinions and the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) multi-criteria decision-making method. The sample size was calculated using Cochran’s formula, and data were collected from consumers in the city of Yazd via a questionnaire. A t-test was applied to examine whether the mindsets were significantly above the average level. Additionally, triadic combinations of mindsets were used to analyze decision-making patterns, and ultimately, a typology of consumer mindsets was developed to provide a deeper understanding of purchasing styles.



Discussion and Results: The study identified eight consumer mindsets that reflect the interaction of motivation, cognition, and perceived resources: Limited Transcendence-Seeker, Broad Transcendence-Seeker, Limited Explorer, Broad Explorer, Limited Fixed-Mindset Consumer, Broad Fixed-Mindset Consumer, Limited Conservative Consumer, and Broad Conservative Consumer. This typology confirms that consumer behavior is heterogeneous, shaped by the balance between growth-seeking, openness to novelty, and sensitivity to constraints. Growth-oriented consumers (transcendence-seekers and explorers) pursue learning, skill development, and improvement, though limited types respond more to scarcity while broad types emphasize long-term opportunities. Fixed-mindset and conservative consumers prioritize risk avoidance and tangible evidence, yet their orientation toward scarcity or abundance defines how open or flexible they remain.The results enrich theory by connecting decision-making with mindset and resource perception, and offer practical guidance for segmentation: reassurance and guarantees for fixed and conservative consumers, and innovation-driven, exploratory messages for growth-oriented groups.



Conclusion: This study introduced a novel typology of consumer mindsets, conceptualized through theoretical analysis, expert insights, and prior research findings. Eight distinct consumer types were identified, reflecting how individuals perceive growth potential, resource availability, and product evaluation in their decision-making processes. These types—ranging from limited transcendence-seekers to broad conservative consumers—illustrate the interplay between intrinsic motivation, cognitive orientations, and contextual constraints in shaping consumption behavior. The framework highlights that consumer decision-making is not merely transactional but deeply rooted in perceptions of growth, resource sufficiency, and openness to novelty. Growth-oriented consumers, whether transcendence-seekers or explorers, display strong tendencies toward learning, skill development, and long-term improvement, though they differ in how they respond to scarcity or abundance. In contrast, fixed-mindset and conservative consumers prioritize stability, risk aversion, and tangible evidence, with their orientation toward either scarcity or abundance shaping the degree of openness in their choices. By mapping these mental models, the study provides a structured lens for understanding heterogeneity in consumer behavior. This typology has significant implications for marketing strategy, product development, and customer experience design. Firms can better tailor communication and value propositions by aligning with consumer cognitive frames: for instance, offering assurance and risk reduction to fixed consumers, or emphasizing exploration and innovation for growth-oriented ones. Overall, the proposed typology advances theoretical understanding of consumer psychology while offering practical pathways for market segmentation and strategy design. It underscores that consumer behavior is best interpreted through the dynamic interaction of motivation, mindset, and perceived resource conditions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Alach, Z. (2017). Towards a standard conceptual typology of public sector performance measurement. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 12(1), 56-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083X.2016.1225579
Al-Zyoud, M. F. (2023). Fresh mindset, hygiene perception, QR code menu, and intention to re-dine among Jordanian consumers. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083X.2016.1225579
Arango, L., Septianto, F., & Pontes, N. (2023). Challenging cultured meat naturalness perceptions: The role of consumers’ mindset. Appetite, 190, 107039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107039
Azizi, Shahriar, Nematipour, Hesam-od-Din, & Agha Hadi, Erfan. (2025). Typology of brand personality with an archetype approach (case study: selected Iranian banks). Brand Management Scientific-Research Quarterly, 12 (1). [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22051/bmr.2025.48022.2608
Beverland, M. B., Napoli, J., & Farrelly, F. (2010). Can all brands innovate in the same way? A typology of brand position and innovation effort. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 27(1), 33-48. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2009.00698.x
Blismas, N., Sher, W., Thorpe, A., & Baldwin, A. (2004). A typology for clients' multi‐project environments. Construction management and economics, 22(4), 357-371. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190310001649047
Büttner, O. B., Florack, A., & Göritz, A. S. (2013). Shopping orientation and mindsets: How motivation influences consumer information processing during shopping. Psychology & Marketing, 30(9), 779-793. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20645
Carnevale, M., Yucel‐Aybat, O., & Kachersky, L. (2018). Meaningful stories and attitudes toward the brand: The moderating role of consumers' implicit mindsets. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 17(1), e78-e89. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1687
Coggins, B., Adams, C., Alldredge, K., Hopcus, A., Shamoun, J., & Bucklin, L. (2025). State of the consumer 2025: when disruption becomes permanent. McKinsey & Company.
Cunningham, M. R., Druen, P. B., Barbee, A. P., Jones, J. W., & Dreschler, B. W. (2021). COVID-19 Behavioral Health Mindset Inventory: A method for enhancing employee and consumer safety. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 43(2), 120-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2021.1881520
DeSousa, M., Reeve, C. L., & Peterman, A. H. (2020). Development and initial validation of the Perceived Scarcity Scale. Stress and Health, 36(2), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2908
Đokić, V. (2009). Morphology and typology as a unique discourse of research. SAJ: Serbian architectural journal, 1(2), 107-130.
Esmaeili Mahyari, Mostafa, Ghafari, Mohammad, Irani, Hamidreza, & Ebrahimi, Elham. (2024). Managing Touchpoints in Tourism: Typology of Tourist Touchpoints in the Pre-Travel Stage (Case of Iran's Inbound Tourists). New Marketing Research, 14*(4), 119–148. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22108/nmrj.2025.142086.3075
Goldsmith, K., Griskevicius, V., & Hamilton, R. (2020). Scarcity and consumer decision making: Is scarcity a mindset, a threat, a reference point, or a journey? Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 5(4), 358-364. https://doi.org/10.1086/710531
Goldsmith, K., Roux, C., & Ma, J. (2018). When seeking the best brings out the worst in consumers: Understanding the relationship between a maximizing mindset and immoral behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 28(2), 293-309. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1017
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Keller, L. (2016). Mindset theory. Encyclopedia of personality and individual differences, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1141-1
Güney, Y. (2007). Type and typology in architectural discourse. BAÜ FBE Dergisi, 9(1), 3-18.
Huijsmans, I., Ma, I., Micheli, L., Civai, C., Stallen, M., & Sanfey, A. G. (2019). A scarcity mindset alters neural processing underlying consumer decision making. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(24), 11699-11704. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1818572116
Hwang, C. L. (1981). Multiple attributes decision making. Methods and applications.
Jaeger-Erben, M., Rückert-John, J., & Schäfer, M. (2015). Sustainable consumption through social innovation: a typology of innovations for sustainable consumption practices. Journal of cleaner Production, 108, 784-798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.07.042
Jacoby, S. (2015). Type versus typology Introduction. The Journal of Architecture, 20(6), 931-937. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602365.2015.1115600
Joshi, A., Kale, S., Chandel, S., & Pal, D. K. (2015). Likert scale: Explored and explained. British journal of applied science & technology, 7(4), 396. https://doi.org/10.9734/BJAST/2015/14975
Kheiri, Nahid, Tolouei Ashlaghi, Abbas, Hamdi, Karim, & Radfar, Reza. (2025). A hybrid approach to modeling retail consumer behavior. Consumer Behavior Studies, 12(2), [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/cbsj.2024.138599.2486
Khorshidi, Gholamhosein, Manesh, Yaser, Ghiyasabadi Farahani, Maryam, & Asghari, Mahnaz. (2025). A systematic review of consumer behavior pattern in the sustainable fashion industry Business Management Explorations, 17(39), 21–37. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/jbar.2025.21354.4413
Kolabi, Amir Mohammad, & Goodarzi, Abbas. (2025). Identifying the factors influencing online purchase decision-making process with emphasis on virtual ideal self-image using cognitive approaches: A meta-synthesis method. Journal of Business Management, 17(2), 266–300. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22059/jibm.2024.364016.4640
Kim, J. C., Wadhwa, M., & Chattopadhyay, A. (2019). When busy is less indulging: Impact of busy mindset on self-control behaviors. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(5), 933-952.  https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucy069
Kübler, R. V., Adler, S. J., Welke, L., Sarstedt, M., & Pauwels, K. (2025). Mining Consumer Mindset Metrics with User-Generated Content. Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41471-025-00219-4
Lee, S. Y., Lee, J. Y., Ahn, H., & Moon, J. H. (2019). How implicit mindset influences consumers’ perception of company engagement with product complaints online. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 47(10), 1-9.
Lin, Y. C., & Chang, C. C. A. (2021). Influencing consumer responses to highly aesthetic products: the role of mindsets. Journal of Retailing, 97(3), 459-476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2020.10.004
Longart, P., Wickens, E., & Bakir, A. (2016). CONSUMER DECISION PROCESS IN RESTAURANT SELECTION: AN APPLICATION OF THE STYLIZED EKB MODEL. Trziste/Market, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.22598/mt/2016.28.2.173
Makhrout, S., & Chouhbi, A. (2024). Fundamental Models of Consumer Purchasing Behavior: An In-Depth Analysis Since the 1960s. [RMd] RevistaMultidisciplinar, 6(2), e202419-e202419. https://doi.org/10.23882/emss.24185
Martin, N., & Morich, K. (2011). Unconscious mental processes in consumer choice: Toward a new model of consumer behavior. Journal of Brand Management, 18(7), 483-505. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2011.10
Mathur, P., Chun, H. H., & Maheswaran, D. (2016). Consumer mindsets and self-enhancement: Signaling versus learning. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 26(1), 142-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2015.06.007
Murphy, M. C., & Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindsets shape consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 26(1), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2015.06.005
Nenkov, G. Y., Morrin, M., Ward, A., Schwartz, B., & Hulland, J. (2008). A short form of the Maximization Scale: Factor structure, reliability and validity studies. Judgment and Decision making, 3(5), 371-388.
Pomfret, G., Mellon, V., & Schofield, P. (2023). Developing a typology of older visitors to heritage attractions. Leisure/Loisir, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2023.2291035
Price, L. L., Coulter, R. A., Strizhakova, Y., & Schultz, A. E. (2018). The fresh start mindset: Transforming consumers’ lives. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(1), 21-48.  https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx115
Qazzafi, S. (2020). Factor affecting consumer buying behavior: a conceptual study. International Journal for Scientific Research & Development, 8(2), 1205-1208.
Ortiz Alvarado, N., Quintanilla Domínguez, C., Ayala Gaytan, E., & Del Castillo de la Fuente, E. (2024). Development and validation of the Multidimensional Mindset Scale: Growth and fixed mindsets. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 48(3), e13054. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.13054
Rahman, K. (2025). Integrating Consumer Behavior Theories: Understanding Modern Consumer Decision-Making.
Rahman, K. T., Bansal, R., & Pruthi, N. (2023). Consumer Adoption of Technologies: A Mindset-Oriented Approach. In Contemporary Studies of Risks in Emerging Technology, Part B (pp. 243-255). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80455-566-820231013
Roy, P. (2022). Theory and models of consumer buying behaviour: A descriptive study. Available at SSRN 4205489.
Rucker, D. D., & Galinsky, A. D. (2016). Growing beyond growth: Why multiple mindsets matter for consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 26(1), 161-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2015.06.009
Sands, S., Gunness, A., Parker, J. R., & Ferraro, C. (2025). From Contemplation to Commitment: The Role of Predecision Comfort in Shifting Consumer Mindsets and Choice Outcomes. Psychology & Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.70043
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students. Pearson education.
Schauman, S., Heinonen, K., & Holmlund, M. (2021). Crafting customer insight: What we can learn from the revival of the vinyl record. Business Horizons, 64(2), 261-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.12.003
Semaan, R. W., Boukis, A., Christodoulides, G., & Papastathopoulos, A. (2024). A typology of consumers sharing luxury services. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 32(4), 536-550. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2262472
Septianto, F. (2020). Do past scandals influence the present performance? The moderating role of consumer mindset. Journal of Business Research, 106, 75-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.011
Shaalan, A., Agag, G., & Tourky, M. (2023). Harnessing customer mindset metrics to boost consumer spending: a cross‐country study on routes to economic and business growth. British Journal of Management, 34(1), 442-465. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12596
Su, Q., & Li, F. (2022). Gain or loss? The congruence effect of message framing and mindset on consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for pro-environmental hotels. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2159420
Subramanian, K. R. (2017). Role of incentives in shaping consumer mindset. International Journal of Trend in Research and Development, 4, 1.
Tabataba’i-Nasab, S. M. and Parish, F. (2015). Consumers’ Attitude Towards Advertising. Journal of Business Administration Researches, 7(13), 1-23. [In Persian].
Tong, P., Johnson, J. L., Umesh, U. N., & Lee, R. P. (2008). A typology of interfirm relationships: the role of information technology and reciprocity. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 23(3), 178-192. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620810858445
Wong, V. C., Su, L., & Lam, H. P. Y. (2020). When less is more: How mindset influences consumers’ responses to products with reduced negative attributes. Journal of marketing, 84(5), 137-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920920859
Yang, C., Tao, S., & Cai, Y. (2023). Do busy consumers prefer new products? A study on the effect of a busy mindset on the evaluation of new products. Current Psychology, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04781-0
Yin, Y., Barrett, R., Williams, M., Wiesenfeld, B. M., & Wakslak, C. J. (2025). Developing a General Construal Questionnaire. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 01461672251321318. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251321318
Yucel-Aybat, O., & Hsieh, M. H. (2021). Consumer mindsets matter: Benefit framing and firm–cause fit in the persuasiveness of cause-related marketing campaigns. Journal of Business Research, 129, 418-427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.02.051
Zhang, J., Xu, X., & Keh, H. T. (2022). I implement; they deliberate: The matching effects of point of view and mindset on consumer attitudes. Journal of Business Research, 139, 397-410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.09.058
Zhao, J., Xue, F., Khan, S., & Khatib, S. F. (2021). Consumer behaviour analysis for business development. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 101591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2021.101591
Journal of Business Administration Researches
Volume 18, Issue 43
April 2026
Pages 28-49

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics