Optimal Stimulation Level Theory and Exploratory Consumer Behavior: An Analysis of Underlying Structures across Product Categories

Research of the last decades focused on answering several questions in view of optimum stimulation theory. Which variables do influence general explorative tendencies such as risk taking, variety seeking, or curiosity-motivated behavior and how do the general explorative tendencies effect the willingness to choose new or familiar products on a repurchase occasion? The approach of this research is the attempt to analyse a wide range of variables, which have successfully been tested to influence innovative behavior, within one simultaneous model. This research is applied across different product-categories. It is confirming the nomological validity of OSL-theory including some contextual variables by attesting a principal consistency between all (six) models that have been established throughout the range of several examined product categories. The parameters between inherent factors do not contradict when comparing the single models with each other, parameter values do only differ slightly according to category-specific peculiarities. As a consequence of these results, an overall fairly good picture is drawn of what is behind the keenness for innovations of early adopters in general (regardless of the product category).