Abstract:

Humans are a 'neotenous' species, retaining youthful traits well into adulthood. This presentation explores the juvenile elements in adult motivation and behaviour, outlining the implications these have for consumer research and marketing. Consumer societies are becoming more immature; consumer decision-making in many situations resembles pre-adult patterns of thought. The presentation concludes with a segmentation of consumers in terms of the degree and types of neoteny that they exhibit.