Parent-adult-child segments in marketing

Advertising research indicates that a central set of psychographic segments exist that can be seen in terms of classical depth motivational patterns, and which can be applied to understanding responses to a broad range of consumer products and services. Three 'phenomenological results' associated with transactional analysis theory are described: child, parent, and adult. Each of these three states is portrayed as having two separate and distinct segments called 'central psychographic segments'. The child state segments are identified as 'insecure' and 'monad'. The parent state segments are 'authoritarian' and 'dominator'. The adult segments are 'normal' and 'self-actualizer'. Each of these states and substates are described, along with their potential applications in consumer marketing response. Researchers are cautioned that motivational dynamics are situationally dependent.