City runabout or race car? the scientific test of the uni bochum knows it.
If you want to invest your money in a vehicle, you should have a look at the online-test of scientists from bochum. He selects the appropriate car brand according to the individual driver’s profile.
agony of choice
A sleek golf? A solid ford? Or go straight for a moon price brand with extravagant esprit? If you want to invest in a new car, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Because it is not always easy to choose between the many different makes of car. A special report can help online test by scientists of the ruhr-uni bochum (RUB). Based on the personal preferences and attitudes of a car driver, he scientifically selects the five brands with the closest match.
"It all began shortly after the turn of the millennium with a diploma thesis that included the connection between personality structure and the choice of car brand has examined", looks dr. Rudiger hossiep, head of the test development project team at the RUB, back. "There is definitely a correlation there, so we kept researching and over time the whole project got bigger and bigger and the results more and more accurate."
Five-digit number of participants
Today, FAHR (the questionnaire for automotive action regulation) is based on a considerable database: figures and information of the motor talk and the car community motor talk as well as data from the meanwhile five-digit number of participants the scientists have brought together. According to hossiep, the results of the online test are accordingly stable and plausible.
How FAHR works in practice? Who would like to know which car brands suit him, fill the comprehensive questionnaire from. The next step will be a individual profile created: what is the importance of the image of a car?? How important are functionalities? How high is the personal security requirement?? In addition, the detailed evaluation sheet on which five car brands best and which least suit the respective participant.
High hit rate
"In about 90 to 95 percent of the cases, we can identify a make an accurate statement and provide clear guidance give. Only among those who have unusual preferences and therefore favor very specific brands are there still variations. the corresponding database is simply still too small", hossiep points to exotic examples such as the typical maserati driver.
With FAHR, he and his team have breaking new ground. Because no one else applies the methods of attitude and personality research in this way to the target group of car drivers. That’s a bit surprising, since the car is the most expensive consumer good of all, and in germany alone it costs around 40 million copies crossing the streets. However, the findings of the bochum scientists seem to be of only marginal interest to the major manufacturers.
Irrational behavior
"The psychology plays a major role in this area. A lot is something irrational and has not only to do with factual arguments", meanwhile, hossiep outlines the special buying behavior in the automotive sector. "The consumer simply lacks the competence to distinguish between the quality of two brands. So the image is a decisive factor in buying behavior and this is, of course, primarily dominated by psychological factors."
In his view, car advertising, for example, is also being made primarily for the so-called post-decision conflictsconsumers want to use advertising to verify their buying decisions after the fact. Hossiep: "he needs confirmation: ‘i’ve made the right decision’"."
Dominant impression
In order to irrational preferences of car buyers to illustrate this, hossiep takes up the suvs, which are currently so popular: "these are totally oversized cars with which you can’t get into a normal parking space and which no one can actually use in city traffic. Nevertheless, they achieve considerable sales figures", says the psychologist, and at the same time tries his hand at causal research: "through their design, vehicles make a dominant impression and people feel particularly protected there, because this is also repeatedly conveyed by advertising."
With the help of such findings and the constantly growing database, hossiep and his team have recently been able to offer the FAHR subscriber a wide range of services a selection of suitable models in addition to the right brand to be allocated. He is given twelve models that are a good match for his profile. At the same time, the test also six models that the participant should not choose under any circumstances. Hossiep: "We are constantly refining the algorithms and can therefore always make more detailed statements."
Career starters beware
"Young graduates must not underestimate what a car signals", warns psychologist hossiep, explaining: "i know many personnel managers who applicant bring to the car to take a look: has he cluttered it to the max? Has he parked sensibly? From this, they try to draw conclusions about his character and work ethic."
Many newcomers to the profession are also confronted with the issue of company cars. "Companies deliberately use it as an incentive. But there are strict rules. because of course i can’t drive a fancier car than my direct superior."