Involvement and Reference Group Influence

Involvement and Reference Group Influence by C. Whan Park examines how personal relevance and social dynamics shape consumer decision-making. This book explores two powerful psychological forces: an individual’s level of involvement with a product or brand, and the influence exerted by peers, opinion leaders, and aspirational groups.
Park draws on decades of behavioral research to illustrate how highly involved consumers process information differently than those with low involvement, and how reference groups subtly (or overtly) guide preferences, purchases, and brand attitudes. He offers frameworks for understanding when and how social influence becomes most impactful—especially in high-stakes or identity-driven buying contexts.
This book is essential for academics, marketers, and behavioral strategists seeking to decode the interaction between internal motivation and external social cues. As part of the Legend in Consumer Behavior series, it underscores Park’s enduring contributions to understanding the social and personal factors behind consumer choices.

C. Whan Park is a Robert E. Brooker Professor of Marketing at the University of Southern California. Prior to joining the USC Marshall School of Business, Los Angeles, California, Professor Park was the Albert Wesley Frey Distinguished Professor of Marketing at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh (1979-1997).He is one of the most innovative thought leaders who has pioneered many important areas in consumer behavior. His innovative publications include seminal papers in dyadic decision-making, "Joint Decisions in Home Purchasing: A Muddling-through Process"; brand management, "Strategic Brand Concept-image Management"; and brand attachment, "Brand Attachment and Brand Attitude Strength: Conceptual and Empirical Differentiation of Two Critical Brand Equity Drivers." He has also published highly influential articles in the areas of brand familiarity, subjective and objective knowledge, cognitive and affective involvement, constructive decision-making, cost-efficient brand growth strategies, and brand naming strategies. Apart from this, Professor Park has coauthored Marketing Management (1987) with Dr Gerald Zaltman, and Handbook of Brand Relationships (2009) with Deborah J. MacInnis and Joseph R. Priester. His most recent book, Brand Admiration: Building a Business People Love, coauthored with Dr Deborah J. MacInnis and Dr Andreas B. Eisingerich, was published in October 2016.Professor Park was the recipient of the 1987 Alpha Kappa Psi Award and has been a Fellow of Society of Consumer Psychology (2012) and a Fellow of Association for Consumer Research (ACR, 2015). He was the Editor of the Journal of Consumer Psychology (2008-2012) and is currently the Director of the Global Branding Center at the Marshall School of Business (2008-present).

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