Strivers

 Strivers seek motivation, self-definition, and approval from the world around them. They are striving to find a secure place in life. Unsure of themselves and low on economic, social and psychological resources, Strivers are concerned about the opinions and approval of others.

Money defines success for Strivers, who don't have enough of it, and often feel that life has given them a raw deal. Strivers are impulsive and easily bored. Many of them seek to be stylish. They emulate those who own more impressive possessions, but what they wish to obtain is often beyond their reach.

Various Other Striver-Related Products and Activities

 These categories represent a sample of some consumer activities that involve Strivers either markedly more (high index) or less (low index) than the population at large. 

Category ----------------------------------	Index -----
Visited a CircleK Store in Past Month	174
Bought Inst.-Develop. Camera Past Yr.	160
Visited an AM/PM Mini Mart Past Month	142
Use Baby Soap/Baby Bath	141
Bought Dining Room Furniture Past Year	133
Purchased Daily Drawing State Lottery	131
Own Electric Hair Curling Iron	123
Use In-Bowl Toilet Fresheners	121
Bought Golf Irons in Past Year	71
Bought Leotard in Past Year	68
Own Personal Computer at Home	63
Visited Art Museum in Past Year	57
Attended Adult Ed Class in Past Year	54
Own Wheel Barrow	53
Enrolled in Frequent Flyer Program	44
Public-TV Contribution in Past Year	43
Worked for Political Party Past Year	39
Source: VALS/Simmons

Index numbers indicate the relative purchase of products and services by each VALS group. For example, an index of 100 means that the product is used by the segment on an average with the rest of the U.S. adult population. An index of 120 indicates that the segment's purchase of a product is 20% higher than the average of all segments. Indexes well under 100 indicate the group is relatively uninvolved with the category. Indexes over 120 indicate that the group is heavily involved with the product category.

When considering this information in terms of yourself, remember that being heavily involved is relative to others, not to an absolute measurement. Thus, high indexes do not necessarily imply a high probability that the entry fits you. For example, your VALS type might be 50% more likely to purchase a certain imported beer in the past year than the average. But, if the average itself is low--say only 5% of the population has bought this beer in the past year--then you are still left with a low chance (7.5%) of having bought this beer in the past year. So, although certain entries may pertain exactly to you (maybe you're within that 7.5% that buys the beer), this data is best considered an indicator of observed tendencies of your VALS type. It's definitely not a checklist for predicting what exactly you will buy or do.