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Media & Strategy · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Consumer Behavior

Why do we buy what we buy? This interdisciplinary course blends psychology, sociology, and economics to decode the “Black Box” of the consumer mind. Students will explore the internal processes (motivation, perception, learning) and external influences (family, culture, social class) that drive decision-making, learning how to nudge behavior through marketing stimuli.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Analyze the Consumer Decision Making Process (Problem Recognition to Post-Purchase)
  2. Understand internal drivers: Maslow’s Hierarchy, Perception, and Memory
  3. Evaluate external drivers: Reference Groups, Family, and Social Class
  4. Apply principles of Behavioral Economics (Nudging, Anchoring)
  5. Map the "Customer Journey" to identify pain points and opportunities
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Introduction to Consumer Behavior
  2. 02The Decision Making Process: A 5-Stage Model
  3. 03Motivation: Needs, Wants, & Maslow
  4. 04Perception: Sensory Marketing & Thresholds
  5. 05Learning & Memory: Classical vs. Operant Conditioning
  6. 06Attitude Formation & Change
  7. 07Persuasion: Elaboration Likelihood Model
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09The Self: Personality & Psychographics
  10. 10Group Influence: Reference Groups & Family
  11. 11Social Class & Lifestyle
  12. 12Culture & Subculture Influence
  13. 13Diffusion of Innovations: How new products spread
  14. 14Consumer Decision Making: Heuristics & Bias
  15. 15Consumer Ethics & Dark Patterns
  16. 16Final Project: The Consumer Persona & Journey Map

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Consumer Persona & Journey Map

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Consumer Behavior by Leon G. Schiffman and Joseph L. Wisenblit
  2. Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being by Michael R. Solomon
  3. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill
  4. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
  5. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
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