Are Some Salespeople From Venus and Others From Mars? a Theory and Test of Interpersonal Mentalizing Using Functional Mri

Brain processes of salespeople are investigated in order to discover why some salespeople are better at interpersonal mentalizing than others. Based upon research on autism and neuroscience, we develop a model of brain functioning that differentiates better, from less, skilled interpersonal mentalizers. The convergent, discriminant, concurrent, predictive, and nomological validities of measures of the scale are established by use of four methods in four separate studies: confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation models, multitrait-multimethod matrix procedures, and fMRI. The study is one of the first to test the validity of measures of a scale not only in traditional ways but also by adopting procedures from neuroscience.

Citation:

Roeland C. Dietvorst , Willem J. M. I. Verbeke , and Richard P. Bagozzi (2009) ,"Are Some Salespeople From Venus and Others From Mars? a Theory and Test of Interpersonal Mentalizing Using Functional Mri", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 4-7.