Course Description
This course is based on theories developed in psychology and builds a bridge to marketing. The conceptual framework of the course breaks the causes of behavior up into types of psychological responses (i.e., mental mechanisms), such as, perceiving, reasoning, feeling, learning, or remembering. These psychological responses intervene between the marketing mix (input) and the behavior of consumers, such as purchase or usage (output). The psychological responses hence provide a framework as to why certain marketing inputs lead to certain outputs, that is, a frame-work to derive strategically relevant consumer insights. The course also reviews a range of simple but powerful “levers” (inputs) that can influence consumer behavior in unexpected ways. As a result, students develop an appreciation for the influence consumer behavior has on marketing activities. Students apply psychological, social and cultural concepts to marketing decision making.
Topics
- Introduction to consumer behavior
- Perception
- Personality and lifestyles
- Motivation and values
- Attitude and persuasion
- Consumer attitude formation and change
- Affective, cognition and behavior
- Consumer learning and memory
- Consumer decision making
- Buying and disposing
- Communication and consumer behavior
- Family and its social class standing
- Influence of family on consumer behavior
- Influence of culture on consumer behavior
- Subcultures and consumer behavior
- Cross-cultural and consumer behavior/global consumer culture
- Consumers and diffusion of innovation
- Household and organizational decision making
- Islamic point of view regarding marketing and consumer behavior (articles and discussions)
- Businesses forbidden in Islam by Dr. Mehmood Ahmad Ghazi
- Video lecture by AbdurRehman Green on materialism/Consumption
- Video talk on “Paradox of Choices” by Berry Schawartzs
Teaching Methodology
- Lecture delivered by the instructor
- Discussion/presentation/critical analysis by the students on various topics/articles/Cases provided by the instructor/searched by the students
