Characteristics of the Opinion Leader: A New Dimension

TLDR

The study discusses the relevance of the new psychological dimension of public individuation and summarizes prior findings on opinion leader characteristics. The study empirically examined how the personality trait public individuation influences opinion leadership. Discriminant analysis showed that public individuation, personal involvement, and product familiarity distinguished opinion leaders from non‑leaders, while risk preference, open‑mindness, and media exposure were not significant predictors, offering implications for advertisers.

Abstract

Abstract This study empirically examined the role of a personality trait, public individuation, in furthering our understanding of opinion leadership. Relevance of this new psychological dimension, and past findings on characteristics of opinion leaders are discussed. Discriminant analysis revealed that, in addition to personal involvement and product familiarity, public individuation was the only other variable which was important in distinguishing opinion leaders from non-leaders. Risk preference, open-mindedness, and mass media exposure, though correlated with opinion leadership, were not found to be important predictors of opinion leadership. Implications for advertisers are discussed.