The CSI is the foundational measure of consumer decision-making styles — stable cognitive and affective orientations consumers bring to shopping and purchasing decisions, representing habitual ways of approaching buying choices. Sproles and Kendall (1986) developed the CSI through factor analysis of a large consumer survey, identifying eight relatively independent style dimensions. Sproles and Sproles (1990) subsequently validated the CSI with adolescent consumers. The Perfectionistic/High Quality Conscious style reflects systematic concern with getting the very best quality product; Brand Conscious reflects the tendency to use price as a quality indicator and to buy well-known brands; Novelty/Fashion Conscious reflects excitement about new products and fashions; Recreational/Hedonistic reflects the view of shopping as fun and pleasurable; Price Conscious reflects careful concern with getting good value; Impulsive/Careless reflects unplanned, spontaneous purchasing with little concern for decision quality; Confused by Overchoice reflects difficulty making choices due to too many options and information overload; and Habitual/Brand Loyal reflects tendency to buy the same brands and stores repeatedly. The CSI has been replicated across dozens of countries, cultures, and consumer segments, making it the most internationally applied consumer decision-making style instrument. Cross-cultural replications consistently find four to six of the original eight factors; Perfectionistic, Brand Conscious, and Recreational styles are the most universally replicated across cultures.
Sproles, G.B., & Kendall, E.L. (1986). A methodology for profiling consumers' decision-making styles. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 20(2), 267–279.
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