Men likely than women to ask for advice

A new study at at the University of New Hampshire, found that women were more apt to ask friends or family members for advice about making a purchase, while men were more likely to turn to impersonal sources for information, such as published materials.

According to this new research, go shopping men have a reputation for being less likely than women to ask for advice. The study finding suggests that the same behavior may hold true for those men lost on the roadway.

Women were more apt to ask friends or family members for advice about making a purchase, while men were more likely to turn to impersonal sources for information, such as published materials. But men don’t always avoid asking for help. The study authors found that men will turn to others for assistance — including retail clerks, friends and family — if they have inadequate information. And when buying wine as a gift, men valued getting opinions from friends, family and retail clerks just as much as women did, the survey found.

The findings are published in the January issue of the Journal of Consumer Marketing.