Trait-Based Segmentation for Mobile Personalization and Privacy Concerns: A Cluster Analysis Based on Need for Cognitive Closure

This research explores the connection between consumers’ characteristics and their perceptions of personalized preferences and privacy concerns. From a sample of 285 participants and using a cluster analysis technique, I segment consumers based on their need for cognitive closure. Need for cognitive closure contains five dimensions (preference for order, preference for predictability, discomfort with ambiguity, close-mindedness, and decisiveness) that characterizes one’s desire for firm answers and predictability. Three cluster groups, “Equivocal Users”, “Structured Users”, and “Eclectic Users” were identified and supplementary analyses revealed differences in their mobile personalization and preference for information privacy. The findings provide key insights and recommendation for marketers and retail managers to implement appropriate personalization strategies for these distinct target groups