Relationship between personality characteristics and attitude toward purchase of counterfeit goods in the Iranian population

Abstract

Due to the excessive amount of counterfeit goods in the Third World countries and the losses caused by the sale of these goods, this study attempts to investigate the relationship between personality characteristics (neuroticism, extroversion, openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness) and attitudes toward purchase of counterfeit goods. This study is a cross-sectional type. The statistical population comprised graduate and undergraduate students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The sample included 700 people, selected randomly by simple sampling manner and response to the attitude toward purchase of counterfeit goods questionnaire and NEO Personality Inventory. The SPSS16 software, independent t-test and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that there is a significant relationship between extroversion, openness and agreeableness with attitude toward counterfeited goods purchasing. The results also indicated that the mean difference of attitude toward counterfeit goods purchasing between gender, marital status and educational level were significant. Results indicated that personality characteristics affected consumers’ attitude toward counterfeit goods purchasing and these personality characteristics can play a role in the reduction of counterfeit goods purchasing.