Neophilia: A Review of the Phenomenon and its Implications
Neophilia is the term used to describe the tendency of an individual to be attracted to and explore novel stimuli. It is a complex psychological construct which has been studied extensively by researchers in recent years, particularly in the context of consumer behaviour. This review will discuss the concept of neophilia and its implications in the modern world, as well as exploring potential areas of future research.
The first study to explore neophilia was conducted by Berlyne (1960), who proposed that novel stimuli possess an intrinsic reward value and that individuals are naturally drawn to explore these stimuli. The concept of neophilia has been further developed in subsequent studies, such as those conducted by de Wied and Meijman (1998), who found that neophilia is associated with an individual’s cognitive and personality traits.
The implications of neophilia have become increasingly relevant in the modern world, particularly in the area of consumer behaviour. For example, the phenomenon of neophilia has been found to be a major factor in the success of new products (Hansen and Laessøe, 2008). Furthermore, it has been suggested that neophilia may be a key factor in the development of consumer trends (Friedman et al., 2012). In addition, neophilia has also been found to be an important factor in consumer loyalty and brand recognition (Shoemaker and Lewis, 2016).
Future research in this area could focus on exploring the impact of neophilia on other areas of consumer behaviour, such as the adoption of new technologies. Furthermore, research could investigate the relationship between neophilia and other psychological constructs, such as personality traits and cognitive styles. Additionally, research could also explore the potential for neophilia to be used as a tool for marketing, such as by measuring neophilia levels amongst focus groups and using this insight to guide product design.
In conclusion, neophilia is a complex phenomenon which has been shown to have important implications for consumer behaviour. Future research should continue to explore the concept of neophilia and its potential applications in the modern world.
References
Berlyne, D. E. (1960). Conflict, Arousal and Curiosity. New York: McGraw-Hill.
de Wied, M., & Meijman, T. F. (1998). Neophilia: A review. European Journal of Personality, 12(3), 193–220. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0984(199807)12:33.0.CO;2-1
Friedman, M., Willer, D., & Zwick, D. (2012). Neophilia and the dynamics of consumer culture. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 522–537. https://doi.org/10.1086/663085
Hansen, U., & Laessøe, J. (2008). Neophilia and product success in new product introductions. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 25(5), 539–550. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2008.00382.x
Shoemaker, S., & Lewis, J. (2016). Neophilia in consumer behavior: A review and call for research. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 15(4), 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1558