心理年齡 (Cognitive Age)，指的是個人心理內在所認知的自我年齡，研究指出，真實年齡與心理年齡兩者間存在差異，一個人的心理年齡也許會比真實年齡年長或年輕。據此，本文之研究目的有二，一方面探討影響造成心理年齡與實際年齡產生差異的變數，另一方面則探討心理年齡與品牌態度間的關係。 經過研究分析，初步發現對女性來說，心理年齡確實不同於真實年齡，且受測的410位女性，有六成四的女性的心理年齡比真實年齡小，可看出答卷女性中有較明顯的心理年齡年輕化傾向。此外，除了「22歲以下」的女性平均心理年齡高於真實年齡之外，其他女性平均心理年齡都低於真實年齡，且隨著年齡層的提高，心理年齡與真實年齡的差距越大，顯示心理年齡年輕化傾向更大。 假設驗證方面，首先就影響心理年齡傾向的因素來說，在人口變項方面，本研究發現，收入高低在心理年齡的傾向上有差異，收入高者比低者在心理年齡上有年輕化傾向。而婚姻狀態在心理年齡的傾向上也有顯著差異，但與原先假設相反，已婚者反而比未婚者在心理年齡上有年輕化傾向，本研究推論可能受到其他共變項(如收入、教育程度等)的影響。至於教育程度高低在心理年齡的傾向上沒有顯著差異，本研究認為，更仔細的進行教育程度分組，是未來研究可修正的方向。至於心理變項，本研究發現，社會比較程度高低在心理年齡傾向上有差異，社會比較程度高者比低者在心理年齡上有年輕化傾向。至於公眾自我意識高低在心理年齡的傾向上則沒有顯著差異，但是從平均值來看，公眾自我意識高者比低者在心理年齡上有年輕化傾向。 至於心理年齡與品牌態度的影響，研究發現，對於品牌年齡較低的品牌 群來說，心理年齡與品牌年齡之差距比真實年齡與品牌年齡之差距，更能有效預測品牌態度，顯示除了真實年齡之外，心理年齡對品牌態度有一定的影響力，值得注意。另一方面，對於品牌年齡低的品牌而言，心理年齡與品牌年齡之差距越小，品牌態度越好；至於品牌年齡較高的品牌，心理年齡與品牌年齡之差距越大，品牌態度反而越好。

Atualmente, observa-se que o ambiente virtual está cada vez mais povoado por pessoas com 60 anos ou mais e com os mais diversos interesses, todavia, verifica-se que há pouco conhecimento sobre como os consumidores idosos formam julgamentos e tomam decisões a respeito de produtos e serviços oferecidos na Internet, chegando a existir, inclusive, um pré-conceito de que estes indivíduos não são usuários da Internet e, portanto, não merecem que se façam investimentos para adequar produtos e serviços a eles. Sabe-se que diferentes fatores podem influenciar o comportamento do consumidor em sua tomada de decisão, principalmente quando se abordam produtos e serviços tecnológicos. Frente a esse contexto, é fundamental que se compreendam melhor os elementos que estão presentes nesse comportamento de consumo e as suas implicações futuras. Por essa razão, a presente pesquisa foi elaborada, pretendendo-se identificar os principais construtos que influenciam o comportamento do consumidor da terceira idade na Internet e analisar o seu impacto sobre a intenção de compra online. Objetivando responder a tal questionamento, projetou-se este estudo, para o qual foi elaborado um modelo teórico (testado empiricamente) contendo diversas variáveis e moderadores. Após 5 pré-testes e 8 entrevistas em profundidade, um questionário foi aplicado em 430 respondentes com 60 anos ou mais que tivessem utilizado a Internet pelo menos uma vez nos últimos 3 meses. O processamento de dados incluiu uma análise fatorial exploratória e uma confirmatória e a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Ao final deste estudo, obteve-se aceitação plena de cinco hipóteses, parcial de três e rejeição de duas, além de um bom ajuste do modelo proposto (a partir dos índices pré-definidos). Confirmou-se a hipótese de que o risco percebido pelos consumidores da terceira idade ao utilizar a Internet é um moderador no modelo estrutural proposto, uma vez que se comprovou diferença estatística significante entre as respostas dadas por um grupo mais avesso ao risco (Grupo 1) e outro menos avesso ao risco (Grupo 2) no que concerne às características demográficas e comportamentais (relacionadas ao uso da Internet). Já a escala de Tipo de Uso não se mostrou adequada para analisar a utilização da Internet pelo público da terceira idade. Constatou-se, da mesma forma, que a idade cognitiva influencia, de maneira inversa, no tempo de uso da Internet e que a satisfação com o uso da mesma tem impacto positivo no boca-a-boca positivo realizado, na intenção de (re)compra online e, também, no tempo de uso da rede. Acredita-se que os resultados obtidos a partir do teste do modelo apresentado possam fornecer importantes implicações acadêmicas e gerenciais, as quais possibilitarão uma maior compreensão sobre o uso da Internet por indivíduos da terceira idade, seus impactos futuros e a existência de moderadores importantes nesta relação. / Virtual environment has been increasingly used by people aged 60 and over who have a variety of interests. However, there is little knowledge concerning how elderly consumers form judgment and make decisions regarding products and services offered on the internet. Additionally, there is a preconception that these individuals do not use the internet; therefore, there would be no need for investment in redesigning products and services to suit them. It is known that there is a range of factors that may influence consumer behavior, especially in online environments involving technological products and services. In this context, understanding the elements involved in consumer behavior as well as its future implications is of paramount importance. Thus, this study reviewed the main constructs that influence the consumer behavior of the elderly on the internet and analyzed its impact on the online purchase intention. A theoretical model containing several variables and moderators was created and empirically tested. After 5 pretests and 8 in-depth interviews, a questionnaire was applied to 430 respondents aged 60 and over who had used the internet within the last 3 months. Data processing included an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the Structural Equation Modeling. As a result, five hypotheses were fully supported, three were partially confirmed and two were rejected. Moreover, the proposed model proved to be well adjusted according to the pre-defined indexes. The hypothesis which states that the perceived risk by the elderly regarding the use of internet is a moderator on the proposed structural model was confirmed, since there was a statistically significant difference between the answers given by a more risk-averse group (Group 1) and the answers provided by a less risk-averse group (Group 2) concerning demographic and behavioral characteristics related to internet use. On the other hand, the Type of Internet Use scale was shown to be inadequate to analyze the internet usage by the aforementioned age group. Likewise, it was observed that cognitive age has an inversely proportional influence on time of Internet usage, and that satisfaction with its usage has a positive impact on positive word of mouth, online (re)purchase intention and time of web usage. It is believed that the results obtained from the testing of the presented model may provide important academic and managerial implications which will bring a greater understanding of internet usage by the elderly as well as its future impacts and the existence of important moderators within this relationship.

Atualmente, observa-se que o ambiente virtual está cada vez mais povoado por pessoas com 60 anos ou mais e com os mais diversos interesses, todavia, verifica-se que há pouco conhecimento sobre como os consumidores idosos formam julgamentos e tomam decisões a respeito de produtos e serviços oferecidos na Internet, chegando a existir, inclusive, um pré-conceito de que estes indivíduos não são usuários da Internet e, portanto, não merecem que se façam investimentos para adequar produtos e serviços a eles. Sabe-se que diferentes fatores podem influenciar o comportamento do consumidor em sua tomada de decisão, principalmente quando se abordam produtos e serviços tecnológicos. Frente a esse contexto, é fundamental que se compreendam melhor os elementos que estão presentes nesse comportamento de consumo e as suas implicações futuras. Por essa razão, a presente pesquisa foi elaborada, pretendendo-se identificar os principais construtos que influenciam o comportamento do consumidor da terceira idade na Internet e analisar o seu impacto sobre a intenção de compra online. Objetivando responder a tal questionamento, projetou-se este estudo, para o qual foi elaborado um modelo teórico (testado empiricamente) contendo diversas variáveis e moderadores. Após 5 pré-testes e 8 entrevistas em profundidade, um questionário foi aplicado em 430 respondentes com 60 anos ou mais que tivessem utilizado a Internet pelo menos uma vez nos últimos 3 meses. O processamento de dados incluiu uma análise fatorial exploratória e uma confirmatória e a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Ao final deste estudo, obteve-se aceitação plena de cinco hipóteses, parcial de três e rejeição de duas, além de um bom ajuste do modelo proposto (a partir dos índices pré-definidos). Confirmou-se a hipótese de que o risco percebido pelos consumidores da terceira idade ao utilizar a Internet é um moderador no modelo estrutural proposto, uma vez que se comprovou diferença estatística significante entre as respostas dadas por um grupo mais avesso ao risco (Grupo 1) e outro menos avesso ao risco (Grupo 2) no que concerne às características demográficas e comportamentais (relacionadas ao uso da Internet). Já a escala de Tipo de Uso não se mostrou adequada para analisar a utilização da Internet pelo público da terceira idade. Constatou-se, da mesma forma, que a idade cognitiva influencia, de maneira inversa, no tempo de uso da Internet e que a satisfação com o uso da mesma tem impacto positivo no boca-a-boca positivo realizado, na intenção de (re)compra online e, também, no tempo de uso da rede. Acredita-se que os resultados obtidos a partir do teste do modelo apresentado possam fornecer importantes implicações acadêmicas e gerenciais, as quais possibilitarão uma maior compreensão sobre o uso da Internet por indivíduos da terceira idade, seus impactos futuros e a existência de moderadores importantes nesta relação. / Virtual environment has been increasingly used by people aged 60 and over who have a variety of interests. However, there is little knowledge concerning how elderly consumers form judgment and make decisions regarding products and services offered on the internet. Additionally, there is a preconception that these individuals do not use the internet; therefore, there would be no need for investment in redesigning products and services to suit them. It is known that there is a range of factors that may influence consumer behavior, especially in online environments involving technological products and services. In this context, understanding the elements involved in consumer behavior as well as its future implications is of paramount importance. Thus, this study reviewed the main constructs that influence the consumer behavior of the elderly on the internet and analyzed its impact on the online purchase intention. A theoretical model containing several variables and moderators was created and empirically tested. After 5 pretests and 8 in-depth interviews, a questionnaire was applied to 430 respondents aged 60 and over who had used the internet within the last 3 months. Data processing included an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the Structural Equation Modeling. As a result, five hypotheses were fully supported, three were partially confirmed and two were rejected. Moreover, the proposed model proved to be well adjusted according to the pre-defined indexes. The hypothesis which states that the perceived risk by the elderly regarding the use of internet is a moderator on the proposed structural model was confirmed, since there was a statistically significant difference between the answers given by a more risk-averse group (Group 1) and the answers provided by a less risk-averse group (Group 2) concerning demographic and behavioral characteristics related to internet use. On the other hand, the Type of Internet Use scale was shown to be inadequate to analyze the internet usage by the aforementioned age group. Likewise, it was observed that cognitive age has an inversely proportional influence on time of Internet usage, and that satisfaction with its usage has a positive impact on positive word of mouth, online (re)purchase intention and time of web usage. It is believed that the results obtained from the testing of the presented model may provide important academic and managerial implications which will bring a greater understanding of internet usage by the elderly as well as its future impacts and the existence of important moderators within this relationship.

Atualmente, observa-se que o ambiente virtual está cada vez mais povoado por pessoas com 60 anos ou mais e com os mais diversos interesses, todavia, verifica-se que há pouco conhecimento sobre como os consumidores idosos formam julgamentos e tomam decisões a respeito de produtos e serviços oferecidos na Internet, chegando a existir, inclusive, um pré-conceito de que estes indivíduos não são usuários da Internet e, portanto, não merecem que se façam investimentos para adequar produtos e serviços a eles. Sabe-se que diferentes fatores podem influenciar o comportamento do consumidor em sua tomada de decisão, principalmente quando se abordam produtos e serviços tecnológicos. Frente a esse contexto, é fundamental que se compreendam melhor os elementos que estão presentes nesse comportamento de consumo e as suas implicações futuras. Por essa razão, a presente pesquisa foi elaborada, pretendendo-se identificar os principais construtos que influenciam o comportamento do consumidor da terceira idade na Internet e analisar o seu impacto sobre a intenção de compra online. Objetivando responder a tal questionamento, projetou-se este estudo, para o qual foi elaborado um modelo teórico (testado empiricamente) contendo diversas variáveis e moderadores. Após 5 pré-testes e 8 entrevistas em profundidade, um questionário foi aplicado em 430 respondentes com 60 anos ou mais que tivessem utilizado a Internet pelo menos uma vez nos últimos 3 meses. O processamento de dados incluiu uma análise fatorial exploratória e uma confirmatória e a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Ao final deste estudo, obteve-se aceitação plena de cinco hipóteses, parcial de três e rejeição de duas, além de um bom ajuste do modelo proposto (a partir dos índices pré-definidos). Confirmou-se a hipótese de que o risco percebido pelos consumidores da terceira idade ao utilizar a Internet é um moderador no modelo estrutural proposto, uma vez que se comprovou diferença estatística significante entre as respostas dadas por um grupo mais avesso ao risco (Grupo 1) e outro menos avesso ao risco (Grupo 2) no que concerne às características demográficas e comportamentais (relacionadas ao uso da Internet). Já a escala de Tipo de Uso não se mostrou adequada para analisar a utilização da Internet pelo público da terceira idade. Constatou-se, da mesma forma, que a idade cognitiva influencia, de maneira inversa, no tempo de uso da Internet e que a satisfação com o uso da mesma tem impacto positivo no boca-a-boca positivo realizado, na intenção de (re)compra online e, também, no tempo de uso da rede. Acredita-se que os resultados obtidos a partir do teste do modelo apresentado possam fornecer importantes implicações acadêmicas e gerenciais, as quais possibilitarão uma maior compreensão sobre o uso da Internet por indivíduos da terceira idade, seus impactos futuros e a existência de moderadores importantes nesta relação. / Virtual environment has been increasingly used by people aged 60 and over who have a variety of interests. However, there is little knowledge concerning how elderly consumers form judgment and make decisions regarding products and services offered on the internet. Additionally, there is a preconception that these individuals do not use the internet; therefore, there would be no need for investment in redesigning products and services to suit them. It is known that there is a range of factors that may influence consumer behavior, especially in online environments involving technological products and services. In this context, understanding the elements involved in consumer behavior as well as its future implications is of paramount importance. Thus, this study reviewed the main constructs that influence the consumer behavior of the elderly on the internet and analyzed its impact on the online purchase intention. A theoretical model containing several variables and moderators was created and empirically tested. After 5 pretests and 8 in-depth interviews, a questionnaire was applied to 430 respondents aged 60 and over who had used the internet within the last 3 months. Data processing included an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the Structural Equation Modeling. As a result, five hypotheses were fully supported, three were partially confirmed and two were rejected. Moreover, the proposed model proved to be well adjusted according to the pre-defined indexes. The hypothesis which states that the perceived risk by the elderly regarding the use of internet is a moderator on the proposed structural model was confirmed, since there was a statistically significant difference between the answers given by a more risk-averse group (Group 1) and the answers provided by a less risk-averse group (Group 2) concerning demographic and behavioral characteristics related to internet use. On the other hand, the Type of Internet Use scale was shown to be inadequate to analyze the internet usage by the aforementioned age group. Likewise, it was observed that cognitive age has an inversely proportional influence on time of Internet usage, and that satisfaction with its usage has a positive impact on positive word of mouth, online (re)purchase intention and time of web usage. It is believed that the results obtained from the testing of the presented model may provide important academic and managerial implications which will bring a greater understanding of internet usage by the elderly as well as its future impacts and the existence of important moderators within this relationship.

<ul><li><strong>Syfte: </strong>Uppsatsen syfte är att beskriva och analysera varför IKEA-besökare i Karlstad, som tillhör kundgruppen 50+, väljer att inte handla möbler i samma utsträckning som de yngre besökarna. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Metod:</strong> Uppsatsens undersökning grundas på en kvalitativ och en kvantitativ metod. Den kvalitativa metoden består av 20 öppna intervjuer med människor i kundgruppen 50+. Den kvantitativa metoden kompletterar den kvalitativa och består av frågeformulär som samtliga intervjuobjekt fick fylla i efter intervjuerna. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Resultat: </strong>Flera faktorer framkom som viktiga för 50+ konsumenten då denne handlar möbler. När kundgruppen delades in efter kognitiv ålder märktes trender i deras preferenser. Personlig interaktion, tilläggstjänster och sortiment är exempel på faktorer som kundgruppen framhäver som viktiga men som de inte anser att IKEA erbjuder.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Rekommendationer: </strong>En figur med förslag på åtgärder åt IKEA har bearbetats fram. Bland annat föreslås att företaget; breddar sortimentet med lyxigare möbler, ökar medvetenheten hos 50+ gällande de tilläggstjänster som erbjuds samt ökar personalens tillgänglighet.</li></ul> / <ul><li><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse why IKEA visitors in Karlstad, belonging to the 50+ market segment, choose not to purchase their furniture to the same extent as the younger visitors.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Method:</strong> The thesis is based on a qualitative and a quantitative study. The qualitative study consists of 20 open interviews with people from the 50+ market. The quantitative study complements the qualitative one and consists of a questionnaire that was filled out by all the interviewees after the interviews. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Findings: </strong>Several elements proved to be of importance when the 50+ consumer purchase furniture. Trends regarding the consumer groups’ preferences emerged when the group was subcategorised according to cognitive age. Personal interaction, add-on services and range of products are examples of elements that the consumer group emphasises as important. However, the consumer group does not think that IKEA offers this at the moment. </li></ul><ul><li><strong>Recommendations: </strong>A figure containing suggestions for action has been created for IKEA. The company is for example recommended to; widen their range of products, increase the awareness amongst the 50+ market regarding the add-on services that are offered, and increase the availability of the employees.</li></ul>

Syfte: Uppsatsen syfte är att beskriva och analysera varför IKEA-besökare i Karlstad, som tillhör kundgruppen 50+, väljer att inte handla möbler i samma utsträckning som de yngre besökarna. Metod: Uppsatsens undersökning grundas på en kvalitativ och en kvantitativ metod. Den kvalitativa metoden består av 20 öppna intervjuer med människor i kundgruppen 50+. Den kvantitativa metoden kompletterar den kvalitativa och består av frågeformulär som samtliga intervjuobjekt fick fylla i efter intervjuerna. Resultat: Flera faktorer framkom som viktiga för 50+ konsumenten då denne handlar möbler. När kundgruppen delades in efter kognitiv ålder märktes trender i deras preferenser. Personlig interaktion, tilläggstjänster och sortiment är exempel på faktorer som kundgruppen framhäver som viktiga men som de inte anser att IKEA erbjuder. Rekommendationer: En figur med förslag på åtgärder åt IKEA har bearbetats fram. Bland annat föreslås att företaget; breddar sortimentet med lyxigare möbler, ökar medvetenheten hos 50+ gällande de tilläggstjänster som erbjuds samt ökar personalens tillgänglighet. / Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse why IKEA visitors in Karlstad, belonging to the 50+ market segment, choose not to purchase their furniture to the same extent as the younger visitors. Method: The thesis is based on a qualitative and a quantitative study. The qualitative study consists of 20 open interviews with people from the 50+ market. The quantitative study complements the qualitative one and consists of a questionnaire that was filled out by all the interviewees after the interviews. Findings: Several elements proved to be of importance when the 50+ consumer purchase furniture. Trends regarding the consumer groups’ preferences emerged when the group was subcategorised according to cognitive age. Personal interaction, add-on services and range of products are examples of elements that the consumer group emphasises as important. However, the consumer group does not think that IKEA offers this at the moment. Recommendations: A figure containing suggestions for action has been created for IKEA. The company is for example recommended to; widen their range of products, increase the awareness amongst the 50+ market regarding the add-on services that are offered, and increase the availability of the employees.

The quantity and variety of product information available online today has increased significantly in recent years. This situation has exacerbated user information overload perceptions and made it difficult for online shoppers to choose between various online products and services. This is especially true for older adults, who typically have limitations in cognitive abilities due to the natural aging process and, as such, may perceive additional difficulties processing large amounts of information online. In response, Recommendation Agents (RAs) have become popular as decision support tools for online consumers in general, and older adults in particular. However, in the information systems literature, there is a lack of understanding regarding the design of RAs to suit the needs of different segments of the population, including older adults. Grounded in the theory of planned behaviour, and the “aging and IS adoption” literatures, this study investigates the impact of cognitive age and RA comprehensiveness on user perceptions towards the complexity of the input and output stages of an RA, and their subsequent impact on the antecedents of a user’s intention to utilize the RA for online shopping. This experimental study finds that: (i) an individual’s cognitive age significantly increases perceived RA input and output complexity perceptions; (ii) higher levels of RA comprehensiveness increases a user’s RA input and output complexity perceptions significantly; (iii) RA output complexity plays a more critical role than RA input complexity in shaping user perceptions of the overall complexity of an RA; and, (iv) increased levels of RA comprehensiveness increases individual perceptions of RA usefulness. Additionally, and as expected, cognitive age moderates the relationship between RA comprehensiveness and input/output complexity such that the effect is stronger for older adults. Surprisingly, however, cognitive age also moderates the relationship between RA comprehensiveness and perceived RA usefulness such that it is stronger for older adults. Theoretically, this study helps us to better understand how different levels of RA comprehensiveness, in terms of both the input and output stages of the RA operation, impact the intention of users of different cognitive ages to use online RAs. For practitioners, the results highlight the importance of customizing the design of RAs, in both their input and output stages, for consumers with different cognitive ages. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

本研究之目的是探討消費者自我認知年齡 (Cognitive Age) 與品牌年齡之一致性程度，對其品牌偏好的影響。為使研究結果具一般性之參考價值，本研究不以單一產品為研究標的，而是將產品依其所滿足之消費者需求的不同，區分為功能型產品 (Utilitarian Product)、享樂型產品 (Hedonic Product) 與象徵型產品 (Symbolic Product) 三類，以產品類型做為調節變數，了解在不同產品類型下，消費者自我認知年齡與品牌年齡之一致性，對其品牌偏好之關係會有何種程度之變化。 　　有鑑於國內並未有類似之研究探討，本研究分兩階段進行，先透過次級資料探討確定消費者認知年齡與品牌年齡之差距，對消費者在品牌偏好度上之可能關係，在次級資料之研究結果與研究方向一致時，正式進行第二階段的調查，驗證研究假說。 　　研究結果顯示消費者之認知年齡確實不同於真實年齡，兩者間呈現正向相關之特性，顯示真實年齡高者，其認知年齡也會較高。在研究主效果上，消費者真實年齡與品牌年齡之一致性，以及消費者認知年齡與品牌年齡之一致性，都與消費者之品牌偏好度呈現正向影響關係，但其中以認知年齡之影響較為明顯，支持認知年齡對真實年齡與品牌偏好間之關係具中介效果。結果發現，消費者認知年齡與品牌年齡之一致性對品牌偏好度之關係，在象徵型產品上最為強烈，其次是享樂型產品，功能型產品最弱。 　　整體而言，認知年齡較傳統行銷所使用之真實年齡更能反映消費者之自我概念與品牌偏好，特別是對象徵型與享樂型產品。因此，若能妥善將認知年齡與其他人口統計變數搭配使用，將有助於行銷者掌握消費特性，擬定契合之品牌策略。此外，本研究建議象徵型產品廠商在其品牌管理上尤應注重目標消費者之認知年齡，諸如品牌年齡定位與代言人的選擇，都應配合其目標消費族群之認知年齡。 / The purpose of this study is to discuss the congruency of consumer’s cognitive age and perceived brand age on brand preference. In order to maximize the contri-bution of the study, this study examines 3 product types, namely functional, hedonic, and symbolic rather than choosing a single product. By using product types as mod-erator, the study shows the effect of consumer’s cognitive age and perceived brand age on brand preference changes under different types of products. Because there’s no similar study in Taiwan before, the study uses secondary da-ta to explore the relationship between a consumer’s brand preference and cogni-tive-brand age gap (the disparity between the consumer’s cognitive age and brand age). A second stage of investigation was conducted to verify the research assump-tions once the secondary data study and the results were found to be consistent. According to the results, the gap between consumer’s cognitive age and actual age actually exists, and the two of them are positively related, implying that older people have higher cognitive age. On the main effect, although “the congruency of consumer’s actual age and brand age” and “the congruency of consumer’s cognitive age and brand age” both have a positive relationship with brand preference, the relationship between “the congruency of consumer’s actual age and brand age” and “brand preference” is stronger, indicating that cognitive age has a mediating effect on the relationship between actual age and brand preference. Furthermore, the relationship between “the congruency of consumer’s cognitive age and brand age” is much more salient for symbolic products than hedonic products, while functional product consumer choices are the least affected by this relationship. To sum up, cognitive age tells us more about consumer self-image and brand preference than the traditional marketing variable, actual age. This is especially true for symbolic and hedonic products. Therefore, if marketers could combine cognitive age with other demographic variables, they will learn more about consumers and draw up the most appropriate strategy for their brand. Furthermore, this study re-commends that firms marketing symbolic products should take into account con-sumers’ cognitive age, when determining brand age positioning. The selection of ad-vertising actors should also be aligned with the target consumer’s cognitive age.