The skills in the identification of the hypothesis

The Skills In The Identification Of The Hypothesis
The study undertaken is aimed to gain skills in the identification of the hypothesis in an academic article or output. The said skill is important due to the fact that it is one of the basic knowledge that is required in academic writing and research. To be able to achieve the objective of the study, a particular article is chosen and the contents were analyzed.
The article under study is focused on the decision making process undertaken by the consumers that belong to the older population age groups. The interest of the issue is based on the perceived differences in the decision making process in relation to the differences in demographic components such as age. To be able to achieve the objectives of the study, there are different concepts that are defined to serve as baseline and background information. These concepts include stereotypes of the elderly, the goals, the affect and the cognition. By recognizing the said factors through indicators described in prior studies, the outcomes were identified. The factors that are considered outcomes or indicators of the influence of age-related correlation are the decision making, the brand choice and the habits that can be observed (Cole et al., 2008).
The methodology used in the study is mainly descriptive. This can be attributed to the fact that the correlation between the brand choice and the age of a consumer can be influence by socio-economic factors. There is a suggested cohort study that revolves on the interaction of three variables namely age, cohort and period factor related to the time of study but the regression between the said factors can produce insignificant relationship since the said factors can considered as demographic values used for baseline data gathering and establishment. This was perceived to cause statistical error on the basis of colinearity (Cole et al., 2008).

A suggested method to resolve such issue is the application of partial least squares (PLS) to study the different variables involved which can yield significant data since the method is not totally dependent of the gathered data and other variables such as repeat purchase and type of brand can also be analyzed (Cole et al., 2008).
Based on the study of the article undertaken it can be considered that the hypothesis then, is that changes that are associated to the age of a person have effects on the cognition, setting of goals, habits and choices.
Results have confirmed the hypothesis. The older population can base their choices regarding product and brand choice on a wider perspective compared to the younger population. The differences can be attributed to different points which include the fact that older consumers possess different fundamental psychological attributes. Although this is the case there are other factors that can also affect brand choice including the individual experience of the consumer, the environmental effects and the importance of the product (Cole et al., 2008).
The hypothesis was confirmed but the further study and exploration of the topic is required to be able to answer the question on the manner the age-related factors affect older consumer’s brand choice.
References:
Cole, C., Laurent, G., Drolet, A., Ebert, J. Guchess, A., Lambert-Pandraud, R., Mullet, E., Norton, M. I. and Peters, E. (2008) Decision making and brand choice by older consumers. Market Lett 19: 355-365.