Why do some people buy the latest tech gadgets?

The conventional wisdom often says it is mainly to signal status or power. But, according to a recent study, that isn’t always accurate. Instead, the study found, tech lovers often buy the latest gadget because they want to learn about new technologies. For these purchasers, new gadgets can help foster personal growth and even make them feel more competent.

In one part of the study, participants who described themselves in a survey as loving tech gadgets were about 3.5 times more likely to say they tend to buy tech gadgets for learning’s sake rather than for other reasons, like signaling status, connecting to others or feeling powerful or unique.

In another test of whether learning is an important purchase motivator for tech-gadget lovers, participants in the study were asked to evaluate an advertisement for a ring with a biometric tracker. Participants were shown one of five ads, each emphasizing one of the following five reasons to buy the product: learning, status, connection, power or feeling unique. Tech-gadget lovers showed a preference for the ads emphasizing learning.

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“Tech-gadget lovers seem to have an intrinsic love of learning about technology,” says Justin McManus, a study co-author and an assistant professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Prof. McManus adds that this suggests buying gadgets can be more meaningful than what is typically thought to be true.

The findings could have practical implications for marketers of technology. For instance, marketers might want to encourage customers to more actively engage and learn about their products, Prof. McManus says. That could mean creating online tutorials or games where customers learn how to use products in less intuitive ways and better understand how new technologies work.

The main part of the study looked at the relationship between loving gadgets and personal growth. The authors hypothesized that gadget lovers who showed a tendency to challenge and absorb themselves in various tasks would be more likely to experience personal growth as a result of a new-gadget purchase than gadget lovers who tended to focus more on seeking out pleasure.

To test their hypothesis, the authors asked participants to rate themselves on their fondness for gadgets, level of engagement with daily tasks, propensity for personal growth and overall feelings of competence.

The results suggested that gadget lovers who rated themselves more highly engaged were those who experienced the most personal growth. Similarly, gadget lovers with the lowest personal-growth scores were often those who rated themselves less engaged.

Prof. McManus says the results suggest having an overall sense of competency could help explain why gadget lovers experience personal growth from buying the latest devices. These participants, he says, were more likely to feel capable, accomplished and skillful.

Ms. Ward is a writer living in Vermont. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.