SATISFACTION WITH BOOKS, SOME EMPIRICAL-FINDINGS

Whenever literary books and their buyers are examined from the point of view of consumer research, the question arises whether currently used concepts can also applied to behavior concerning cultural products that contain no or only few tangible performance dimensions. In light of this question and in order to ascertain variables playing a role in establishing consumer satisfaction with literary books, a study was designed pertaining to the fulfillment of expectations concerning a book recently bought. In former consumer satisfaction research, expectations have proved to serve as a reference level against which consumers' experiences are set off in assessing the degree of satisfaction. Other variables which are deemed valuable in explaining satisfaction with books, are the social rewards gained by the possession of a book and various socio-demographic variables. These variables were also included in this study. Results indicated that knowledge about the author and experience with earlier work of an author contributes most to the expectations expressed beforehand and the subsequent level of satisfaction. The application of a general consumer research paradigm in srudying satisfaction with books is complicated by the absence of clearly circumscribed performance dimensions found in literary books. © 1992.