Psychological Factors Influencing Fashion Choice Among Generation Z Male Students: Evidence From TVET Institutions in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to determine the influence of psychological factors on the choice of fashion among Generation Z male students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study was anchored on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model developed by Mehrabian and Russell (1974), which holds that the environment influences a person's consumption behaviour. The study employed a correlational descriptive research design with a cross-sectional approach. The target population was 2,000 male TVET students, from which a sample of 333 respondents was drawn using simple random sampling. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and 290 questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of 87 per cent. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis. Findings showed that psychological factors had a mean of 15.756 and were strongly and significantly correlated with fashion choice (r = .821, p < .01). However, regression analysis indicated that psychological factors did not have a statistically significant independent effect on fashion choice (β = .098, p = .776). The study concluded that psychological factors were strongly associated with fashion choice, although their independent predictive contribution was not statistically significant in the regression model. The study recommends further longitudinal and comparative research on the psychological drivers of fashion consumption among Generation Z.