An examination of the literature on marketing information acquisition and knowledge transfer raises the issue of what motivates consumers to participate in these processes. A model which is presented incorporates possible motives such as novelty seeking, desires for social mobility, reciprocity, and proselytization. This model indicates why consumers choose to acquire and transfer information relevant to solving current consumption problems as well as that which is not currently relevant. Propositions incorporating these motives are developed and hypotheses relevant to the field of advertising are discussed. Motives underlying the processes of marketing information acquisition and knowledge transfer may have important implications for the measurement of advertising effectiveness, media utilization patterns, and the establishment of continuing interpersonal channels of communication.
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