The researchers used a national mail survey to gather data on the motivational, attitudinal, psychographic, and socioenvironmental characteristics of consumers. Stepwise discriminant analyses of 886 usable responses revealed that significant differences between direct marketing television shoppers and non-shoppers could be attributed to ten variables. The two groups differed in their need for affiliation, need for convenience, and attitude toward risk. Other significant discriminators were: sex, race, age, the absence of children in the home, late night television viewing, and social isolation. The latter two variables helped provide support for two hitherto untested industry notions — the “theory of sales resistance,” and the “isolation hypothesis”. Identifiable differences were used to help the researchers develop a profile of direct marketing television shoppers.