MBA 732: CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Spring Semester 2018

January 8 – April 25
Meeting: Wednesday, 6:30-9:20pm in 202 Bryan Building

Professor: Dr. Merlyn Griffiths

Office: 353 Bryan
Phone: 334-4472 (please leave a message)
E-mail: Magriff3@[Link] (most efficient means of contact)
Office Hours: Monday 5:00pm-6:00pm and by appointment
Course Documents: [Link]
SEND ALL QUESTIONS VIA EMAIL ONLY

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being, 12th edition, by Michael R.

Solomon, Prentice-Hall.

The publisher also provides an Online Study Guide-optional.

Note: digital version of the text may be available at [Link]
All Additional required readings can be found in pdf form on Canvas

Catalog Course Description: Applying behavioral theories to understand consumer consumption behaviors and the
effect of environmental and psychological influences on the consumer decision making process.

NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

Consumer Behavior is the most exciting area in the study of marketing!
Consumer behavior is omnipresent; we cannot escape it – every moment of our lives we are engage in some form of
consumer behavior. It involves the interaction of affect, cognition, behavior and the environment in which people
conduct the exchange aspects of their lives. It examines the consumer decision process and the impact of external
environmental influences (culture, subculture, social class, reference groups, family, and personal influences) and internal
psychological influences (personality and lifestyle, learning, motives, perception, and beliefs and attitudes) on consumer
decision making. It explores stimuli that informs, persuades, and influences our choices, purchase decisions, dreams
and aspirations.

This course is intended to provide you with two fundamentals (a) theory about consumer behavior and (b) an
understanding of how consumer behavior concepts can be applied to marketing management (the hunters), to our
roles as consumers (the hunted), and to everyday life. The study of consumer behavior uses concepts, theories, and
principles from the social sciences to extend our understanding of factors influencing the acquisition, consumption,
and disposition of goods, services, and ideas. You will learn how and why consumers behave by examining how we
use products to define ourselves and how this self concept affects our attention and perception, our motivation to
buy, our memory for brands, product and advertising awareness, our brand attitudes, product judgment and choice,
customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. With this in mind, our objectives are as follows:
Course Objectives
1. To provide you with a solid conceptual base for understanding the behavior of consumers within society and
the marketplace.
2. To develop your abilities to apply consumer behavior concepts to marketing problems that are likely to
involve consumer consumption, with identity and lifestyle implications.
3. To extend your understanding of research methodologies that can be used to investigate consumer behavior
and guide managerial decision-making.

COURSE FORMAT

The format of the course includes short lectures, cases (written & video), guest speakers and topical
roundtable discussions facilitated by teams. Lectures and cases will serve to organize consumer behavior
concepts and clarify the material. Roundtable discussions will correlate real examples from the business
world. Assigned chapters, exercises, articles and cases should be read prior to their discussion in class.

**** There is a significant amount of reading and hands-on experiential exercises that is required
for you to fully understand the concepts.

ASSESSMENT & DETAILS Grading Scale

Individual: Class Participation 15% A 95-100 C+ 78-79

Individual: One Experiential Assignment 10% A- 90-94 C 73-77
Individual: In-class Roundtables 15% B+ 88-89 C- 70-72
Individual: Midterm Assignment 20% B 83-87 D 60-69
Comprehension Check 15% B- 80-82 F Below 60
Team: Final Project 25%
Paper & presentation (12.5%)
Peer evaluation (12.5%)

Note: Grades are non-negotiable and final grades can only be changed to correct calculation or input errors on my
part. If you have questions as to the validity of a grade this must be brought to my attention in writing within one (1)
week of the day/date the grade is posted.

Grades WILL NOT be determined by a standard bell curve whereby the majority of the class receives a ‘C’ and the
minority receives otherwise. Rather, grades will strictly depend on the number of points accumulated relative to the
total number of points allotted in the course. Your personal/special circumstances are NEVER considered in the
calculation of your grades.

**Note: All submitted work may be checked for plagiarism. To avoid discrepancies, be sure to cite appropriately works of others that you
are referencing. For details on what constitutes plagiarism, please visit [Link]

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Class participation is expected in every class meeting. To reinforce this expectation, I may randomly select students at
the beginning of the session and throughout the ensuing discussion (whether or not the student’s hand is raised).
This is your class and you should make it as interesting as possible by sharing your examples and experiences. In
grading class participation, it is assumed that everyone starts out in the middle, with for example, 50 out of the 100
points and individuals move up or down based on their performance. Points are assigned at the end of the course.
Here are some ways you can impact your grade:

Late Work, Absences, Etc.: Some students, because of work-related obligations, may have to miss one class. If you fall
into this category, please let me know ASAP. We will work out a schedule if the situation warrants it.
 Positive Influences Negative Influences
• Constructive discussion • Disruption of class (sidebar talking, cell
• Regular attendance phones, texting, focusing on non-class
• Preparation for class discussions related material, surfing, etc.)
• Original work • Lack of attendance
• Just sitting there – no preparation
• Cheating, plagiarism (from others, off
the web, etc.)

Grading class participation is necessarily subjective. Some of the criteria for evaluating effective class participation
include:

1. Is the participant prepared, and do his/her comments show evidence of analysis of the case/article/readings,
thereby adding to the group’s understanding of the situation/content/concepts? Does the participant go
beyond simple repetition of case/article/readings facts without analysis and conclusions? Do comments show
an understanding of theories, concepts, analytical devices presented in class lectures or reading materials?
2. Is the participant a good listener? Are the points made relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the
comments of others? Is the participant willing to interact with other class members?
3. Is the participant an effective communicator? Are concepts presented in a concise and convincing fashion?

EXPERIENTIAL INDIVIDUAL ASSSIGNMENT

The experiential assignment will focus on the practice of capturing and analyzing consumer data. Using qualitative
methodologies, students will explore specific facets of consumer consumption behaviors. A description of the
assignment and requirements will be posted on Canvas, and will be discussed in further detail in class.

ROUNDTABLES

In-Class Roundtables: In order to keep class discussions interesting, and to draw in your specific expertise, a series
of Roundtable discussions are planned which connect class topics to real-life experience. You will each sign up for
one-night’s roundtable, which focuses on selected concepts from the text. The names per roundtable will be posted
on Canvas during the first week. Your job will be to lead the class in discussion of the issues, present the questions,
and connect the issues to real-world examples from the marketplace. More importantly, your job is to show how the
course concepts and frameworks are useful tools that can be applied in the real world. ****Make a 1- page
handout for the class, plus a 2-5 page write up (attach a copy of the 1-page you distribute to the class) for me
of your goals, your logic, and what you hope to accomplish in your roundtable, and include a copy of power point
slides (2 slides per page-MUST be READABLE) if used.

Note: As the text/chapters relating to each roundtable are extensive, there should be NO OVERLAP
between the presentations. Further, your discussion IS NOT A REGURGITATION OF THE TEXT, but
an application/demonstration of content (theory/framework/concept). All presentations must
include/address what are the implications for marketers.

Roundtables: Voice of the Consumer

The verbatim text of what consumers say must be included in the respective Roundtables. In other words,
the voice of the consumer is critically important. Therefore, you must include as exemplars of your
arguments, findings, and theoretical concepts, actual verbatim of what the consumer(s) actually say.

Be sure to include demographic descriptive (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, marital
status, etc.) of each consumer who participates in your assignment.
 Bring your products, ads, samples, etc., used in your round table to class.
Remember: The objective is to connect directly (interact) with consumers.

IN ALL ROUNDTABLES: Describe/present ALL your findings using verbatim text of what your
interviewees/participants/consumers actually said.

Topics and Date

Jan 24: Roundtable on Consumer Perceptions

Take along 2 consumers on a cyber tour of [Link]. Then interview the consumer about his/her perceptions
about this brand. Next, take him/her on a cyber tour of [Link] and interview him/her to understand
his/her perceptions of this brand. Next, take him/her on a tour of [Link] and interview about
his/her perception of this brand. Summarize how the three brand perceptions differ, and then exercise your brains
(and analyze the three websites) to figure out what elements of these websites end up causing these differing
perceptions. After the interviews you may want to structure consumers’ response somewhat. To help you do this,
before beginning the cyber tours, prepare a list of dimensions on which you want to assess perceptions. This will
guide your framing of your analysis later. What are the implications for marketers?

Jan 31: Roundtable on Influencers, Consumer Learning and Product Failure

Consumers learn from product information, purchase, use and disposition. Identify a set of products that are
successful and products that are failing due to poor consumer learning. Talk with 3 consumers about how they
learned to use the product; different ways of using the product. Assess: Do consumers always learn everything
correctly about products? Do they always follow directions? Applying the different theories in the text, explain what is
the marketer(s) doing right/wrong and what is happening to the consumer(s) (i.e. response, reaction, etc.) in terms of
learning/not learning. What are they learning vs. what was intended? Bring these products to class as part of your
presentation of the roundtable. What are the implications for marketers – apply the behavioral learning theories or
cognitive learning theories to your recommendations for marketers.

Feb 14: Roundtable on Consumer possessions and the extended self

For some consumers, personal possessions become extended parts of the self. Your task is to interview 4 consumers
to determine if there are any possessions they consider a part of their extended self-concept and the manner in which
that possession became a part of their self-concept. 1) First, construct an interview guide with the questions you will
ask, utilizing the text for guidance (your consumers will not understand the terms self-concept or extended self-
concept and you should not use these technical terms in interviewing lay consumers). 2) Specifically explore how
consumers’ self-concepts play out in their possessions. Assess: 3) What part of the self does this product represent for
the interviewee? Compare the responses of the consumers. Explain how the possession described/discussed relates
similarly or differently to the individual’s self-concept. What did you learn that you could apply if you were a
marketing manager of that product? What are the implications for marketers?

Feb 21: Roundtable on Consumer Psychographics

Construct a brand personality inventory for 3 different brands within the same product category (see chapter for
details on brand personality traits/dimensions). Develop an interview protocol (list of questions) and interview 5
consumers. Bring visual exemplars of the brand to the interview to show. In addition to interviewing them, have them
rate each brand on 9-10 different personality dimensions (see textbook 234-235). Assess: Compare ratings. What
differences can you identify based on their ratings? Do these “personalities” relate to the advertising and packaging
strategies used to differentiate these products? How do these personalities relate to the interviewee psychographics
(e.g., lifestyle, AIO’s,). What are the implications for marketers?

Mar 14: Roundtable on Buying Decision and Stereotypes

Perform a survey of country-of-origin stereotypes. 1) Compile a list of 5-10 countries and ask 8-10 people what
products they associate with each. What is the quality of products associated with each? What attributes are known
about products that come from each of these countries? 2) Prepare a brief description of a product, including a list of
features, and ask 4-6 consumers to rate it in terms of quality, likelihood of purchase, value, and so on. Make several
versions of the description, varying only the country from which it comes from. 3)Assess: Do ratings change as a
function of the country of origin? How does this explain the power of country stereotype? What are the implications
for marketers?

Mar 21: Roundtable on Consumer Buying and Disposing

Why do consumers shop? Is the purpose solely to buy something, or are there other motives? 1) Visit a store and
observe consumers buying behavior within the setting. Be sure to describe what you see, take pictures if possible.
2)Interview 2 consumers in the setting about their shopping motives and purchases. 3) Assess: How can marketers use
this information? Consider that most products are disposed of eventually, how do consumers dispose of products? In
other words, what are the different ways in which consumers dispose of products? Are there differences in age,
gender, ethnicity/race etc, and/or types of products and method of disposing? What are some products that are easily
disposed of? What are some products that consumers have difficulty disposing of? What are the implications for
marketers?

Mar 28: Roundtable on the Influence of Children in Household Decision Making

Children learn over time what and how to consume. 1)How do children learn, make and influence purchase decisions
(give some specific product/brand examples)? 2)To add depth to your roundtable, go to a toy store, a toy department
or a cereal aisle in the grocery store and watch several interactions between a parent and child (be sure to describe in
detail what you see). 3)Report on how the child (children) navigated the isles. 4)Explain how children “made their
wishes known” and how parents reacted to their children’s “needs and wants.” Ideally, speak with the child with the
adult’s permission and also with the adult if possible to get further insight. 5) Assess: Recognizing the influence of
family and other non-family members in purchase decisions, what do/can marketers do? How are the theories relating
to learning manifest in the marketplace? For example, apply the learning theories to children in terms of “children see,
children do.” What are the implications for marketers?

Apr 11: Roundtable on Subcultural Influences on Sacred and Profane Consumption

Prepare a list of holidays that are oriented toward a particular subculture. Find ads that reflect this type of focus.
Interview several members of subcultures other than your own (e.g., African American, Hispanic, Asian, Caucasian,
Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, etc.) to discover what types of products or services are purchased because of membership
in this particular group. Show the interviewee your ads to determine what are their perceptions of your ads, the
products, the marketer, the brand? Assess: What are their perceptions of ads that specifically target them? How do
they celebrate the holidays on your list (i.e., types of activities, consumption, etc)? How can marketers encourage
consumers to pay attention to their messages? What are some marketing implications?

Feedback on Roundtables: Each individual will receive feedback on their section of the roundtable. The delivery
mechanism will be via email, and will be sent before the next class meeting. Individual grade will be assigned at that
time.

MIDTERM & FINAL PROJECT

A significant part of your course grade will be determined by a team project. As professionals interested in marketing,
you are all going to be part of teams that work together in finding solutions to common marketing problems.
Therefore, as part of this course, you will be required to carry out a team project in which you explore a particular
marketing phenomenon, propose and carry out a study that examine this problem/issue, and discuss your findings.

The midterm assignment is directly related to the final project. Each team will focus on one (no duplicates) of the
following options for the final project:

1. Explore consumer perception of digital currency.

2. Explore consumer perception of genetically modified salmon in the US food supply.
3. Explore consumer perception of teenage marijuana consumption.
4. Explore consumer perception of opioid addiction in the US.
Midterm Project: For the midterm assignment, each individual member of the team will create a written document
(8 pages maximum NOT including references) relating to their specific segment of the project the team has
undertaken.

Each of the options contains several layers including organizing and summarizing existing related research on the
topic. The team will create a preliminary roadmap of 15-20 (or more) articles (both academic research & a few
popular/practitioner press) that they will use to understand and further frame the issues/situations that exists relating
to the topic area. This reading list will then be divided and each individual from the team will have responsibility of
analyzing and summarizing their assigned set (combination of academic research and popular/ practitioner press)
articles. Further details will be provided. Note that Wikipedia (Wiki’s) is NOT a credible source and should not be
included or cited.

Final Project: Extending the midterm to the final project, the teams will conduct primary research to fully explore
the topic areas. The research will comprise using the qualitative methods of depth interviews and photographic
documentation, to uncover consumer perceptions. Summarizing the findings, identify the key consumer perception
themes uncovered from your interviews. Based on these themes, what are the implications for marketers? How can
marketers use this new knowledge in their efforts to connect and build relationships with consumers?

Paper & Presentation: Each team will (1) create an overview of the project as the introduction section of the paper;
(2) organize and combine each individual member’s midterm (literature review); (3)create a section describing how
you approached each interview (method and data collection, including demographic descriptive of each participant
(i.e., gender, age, ethnicity, occupation, education, marital status, etc.); (4) report/describe the findings from the
interviews; (5) identify the implications for marketers and the impact in building consumer relationships.

Format: Both midterm and final project must be typed (double spaced), and professionally presented to the class.
The final project should be no more than 30 pages, including the literature review, data analysis results etc. All
sources of literature should be referenced using the APA, MLA or Chicago referencing style. Failure to reference will
be a cause for plagiarism per UNCG handbook.

Each team will turn in the transcribed interview notes with your coding. This must be a separate document, and NOT
attached or pasted in the final paper.

****Further details will be given in class and posted on Canvas relating to each of the topical areas for the project.

Group Meeting Time: Communicating/meeting with your group members outside of class may require extensive
use of technology. This is strongly recommended. Each group will have access to each member including a discussion
board, email access, virtual classroom and file sharing via Canvas.
* If there are questions regarding the project, come see me early. Don’t wait until the last week when it’s too late to
seek help.
Contribution of Group Members
The business workplace is a social environment where you must work with others to achieve the goals and objectives
of the entire organization. Therefore, 50% of an individual’s group project grade will be based on the work produced.
In other words, 50% of YOUR project grade is in the hands of your peers.

❖ Peer Evaluation: Each member of the project teams will provide evaluative feedback on the performance of
each individual group member. You will give yourself a rating and provide comments on the contributions each
member (including yourself) made toward the successful completion of the project. The ratings provided by each
group member will be taken into account in the final calculation of the individual’s total grade for the project. The
onus is on you to contribute 100% toward the success of the project and to work well with your team members.

❖ A peer evaluation form will be made available via Canvas to each student in each group before the last day of
class. Each student will award from 0 to 100 points for each member's efforts on the project and the sum will be
 averaged. In addition, you will have an opportunity to comment on the quality of each team member’s
contribution to the successful completion of the project.

Classroom Conduct
We subscribe to the UNCG professional standards. Please arrive on time for class with uninterrupted attendance for
the duration of the class. I will endeavor to end class on time. Furthermore, please maintain a professional
atmosphere. This includes, but is not limited to, using respectful comments and humor, employing appropriate
manners and decorum, utilizing computers and technology suitably (e.g., silencing wireless devices, no web-browsing
or emailing), and refraining from distracting or disrespectful activities (e.g., avoiding side conversations and games).
Refer to the following for more details on school policies and procedures:
[Link]

Absence: If you miss 2 or more classes in a 15-week semester, you should not expect to receive a passing grade. In
other words, excessive absences will be reflected in the final grade. All assignments must be handed in on time; late
work will not be accepted. If you must miss a class, the onus is on you to connect with your classmates to get up
to speed on the material covered, handouts, etc.

*****The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this document as needed*****
Note that occasionally, changes in the schedule of the course, or in the assignments, are announced during class.
Equally, materials may be added to increase your knowledge and efficiency in a particular subject area, as well as
articles to read in preparation for the next class. It is your responsibility to connect with Canvas to stay abreast of
changes, additional material, etc.
Laptop Policy: You are allowed to use your laptop in class for the sole purpose of note-taking, or accompanying the
websites we may visit during the discussion. Surfing, IM, games, paying bills, checking emails, etc. are not class related
activities and must not be done in class. Recognize that it is sometimes quite obvious when you are using your laptop
for non-class related activities. Abuse of the laptop policy will impact your grade, and eliminate your privilege of using
it through the remainder of the course.

Inclement Weather: We will follow the directions of the institution.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY [Link]

Students are expected to recognize their responsibility to uphold the Academic Integrity Policies of UNCG. Failure to
do so will result in Academic Integrity Sanctions as stipulated by the university.

Plagiarism: Representing the words of another, as one's own in any academic exercise. Plagiarism may occur on any
paper, report, or other work submitted to fulfill course requirements. This includes submitting work done by another,
whether a commercial or non-commercial enterprise, including Web sites, as one's own work. Faculty should take into
account whether the student has had the opportunity to learn appropriate citation procedures based on previous
course work successfully completed before formalizing Academic Integrity charges.

a. Failure to cite references range of sanctions: From requiring the student to re-do the paper to a zero on the paper
Includes intentional or obvious failures to properly cite sources.
b. Submitting, as one's own, work done by or copied from another range of sanctions: From F on assignment to a
recommendation for expulsion.
c. Includes work done by a fellow student, work done by a previous student, or work done by anyone other than the
student responsible for the assignment.
Falsification: Intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic
exercise. Falsification includes knowingly reporting data, research, or reports so that either the process or the product
is shown to be different from what actually occurred; falsely reporting having met responsibilities of attendance or
participation in class, practicum, internship, or other types of field work experience; or submission of falsified excuses
for attendance or participation in such experiences. Falsification also includes submitting work to meet the
requirements of one course when it was done, in whole or in part, to meet the requirements of another course.
Exceptions to this provision must be given prior approval by the instructor to whom the work is to be submitted. For
Graduate Students, range of sanctions: From F on assignment to a recommendation for expulsion

➢ Facilitating academic dishonesty: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to

commit an act of academic dishonesty. Facilitating academic dishonesty includes acts that may not directly
benefit the accused but assist another student in violations of the Policy a range of sanctions: From F on
assignment/test to a recommendation for expulsion

Summary of Charges and Suggested Ranges of Sanctions

Charge Suggested Range of Sanctions

Spontaneous cheating From redoing an assignment/retaking a test to F in course
Non-spontaneous cheating From F on assignment/test to a recommendation for
expulsion
Failure to cite references From requiring the student to re-do the paper to a zero on
the paper
Submitting, as one's own, work done by or From F on assignment to a recommendation for expulsion
copied from another
Misuse of academic resources From loss of privileges to use of materials for a set period
of time, to repayment of costs of repair or replacement of
materials to a recommendation for expulsion.
Falsification by an undergraduate From requiring the experience to be re-done to an F in the
course
Falsification by a graduate student From F in the course to a recommendation for expulsion
Facilitating academic dishonesty From F on assignment/test to a recommendation for
expulsion

Selected Course Reference Readings

Research Articles
Compulsive Consumption: Hing, N., Lamont, M., Vitartas, P., & Fink, E. (2015). Sports bettors' responses to
sports-embedded gambling promotions: Implications for compulsive consumption. Journal of Business Research, 68(10),
2057-2066.

Grougiou, V., Moschis, G., & Kapoutsis, I. (2015). Compulsive buying: the role of earlier-in-life events and
experiences. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32(4), 278-289.

O’Guinn, Thomas C. and Ronald J. Faber (1989), “Compulsive Buying: A Phenomenological Exploration,” Journal of
Consumer Research, Vol. 16 (September), 147-157.

Faber, Ronald J. and Thomas C. O’Guinn (1988), "Compulsive Consumption and Credit Abuse", Journal of Consumer
Policy, Vol. 11, 97-109.

Impulsive Purchasing: Kaufman-Scarborough, Carol and Judy Cohen (2004), “Unfolding Consumption
Impulsivity: An Existential-Phenomenological Study of Consumers With Attention Deficit Disorder”, Psychology &
Marketing, Vol. 21(8), 637-669.

Consumption Rituals: Wallendorf, Melanie and Eric Arnould (1991), “’We Gather Together’: Consumption Rituals
of Thanksgiving Day,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 18 (June), 13-31.
Gift Giving: Lowrey, Tina M., Cele C. Otnes, and Julie A. Ruth (2004), “Social Influences on Dyadic Giving over
Time: A Taxonomy from the Giver’s Perspective,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 30 (March), 547-558.

Nostalgia: Holbrook, Morris B. and R.M. Schindler (2003), “Nostalgic Bonding: Exploring the Role of Nostalgia in
the Consumption Experience,” Journal of Consumer Behavior, Vol. 3 (2), 107-127.

Perception of Color and Web Use: Kaufman-Scarborough, Carol (2001), “Accessible Advertising for Visually-
Disabled Persons: The Case of Color Deficient Consumers,” Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 18 (4), 303-316.

Perception and Scent: Morrin, Maureen and S. Ratneshwar (2003). “Does It Make Sense to Use Scents to Enhance
Brand Memory?” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 40 (4), 10-25.

Ellen, Pam Scholder and Paula Fitzgerald Bone (1998), “Does it Matter if it Smells? Olefactory Stimuli as Advertising
Executional Cues” Journal of Advertising, 27 (4), 29-39.
Shiu, Eric, David Walker, and Chi Jyun Cheng (2006), “ A Theoretical Investigation into the Potential Applications of
Olfactory Cues to the Marketing of New Products” Innovative Marketing, Vol. 2 (4), 44-53.

Perception and Shape: Wansink, Brian and Koert van Ittersum (2003), “Bottoms Up! The Influence of Elongation
on Pouring and Consumption Volume,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 30 (December), 455-463.

Elderly Consumers Disposition: Linda L. Price, Eric J. Arnould, and Carolyn Folkman Curasi (2000), “Older
Consumers’ Disposition of Special Possessions,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 27 (September), 179-201.

Hispanic Shopping Behavior: Kaufman, Carol Felker and Sigfredo Hernandez (1991), "The Role of the Bodega in
a U.S. Puerto Rican Community," Journal of Retailing, Vol. 67 (4), 375-396.

Subcultural Influences: Peñaloza, Lisa (1994), "Atravesando Fronteras/Border Crossings: A Critical Ethnographic
Exploration of the Consumer Acculturation of Mexican Immigrants," Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 21 (June), 32-
54.
Dishonesty: Cialdini, Robert B. (1999) “Of Trick and Tumors: Some Little-Recognized Costs of Dishonest Use of
Effective Social Influence," Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 16 (2), 91-98.

Books (in UNCG Library)

th
− Olson, Jerry & Peter, Paul (2004), Consumer Behavior, 7 ed., McGraw-Hill (ISBN: 0071111778)

− Falk, Pasi & Campbell, Colin (eds.) (1997), The Shopping Experience (Theory, Culture and Society Series), Sage
(ISBN: 0761950672)

− Gunter, Barrie & Furnham, Adrian (1998), Children As Consumers: A Psychological Analysis of the Young People's
Market (International Series in Social Psychology), Routledge (ISBN: 0415185351)

- Gunter, Barrie (1998),Understanding the Older Consumer: The Grey Market (International Series in Social Psychology),
Routledge (ISBN: 0415186447)

− Holbrook, Morris (1999), Consumer Value: A Framework for Analysis and Research (Routledge Interpretive Market
Research Series), Routledge (ISBN: 0415191939)

− Miles, Steven (1998), Consumerism : As a Way of Life, Sage (ISBN: 0761952152)

− Ries, Al & Trout, Jack (2000), Positioning: The Battle for your Mind, McGraw-Hill (ISBN: 0071359168)
 USEFUL CONSUMER WEBSITES
How do firms learn about consumers? Take a look at these in your spare time – these can be
helpful in contributing to our discussions in class and your final projects.

Collecting Consumer Information Consumer Product Companies

Campbell Soup Company Website:
American Demographics: trends, new products, product history: [Link]
[Link]
Available through UNCG library Perdue Farms: [Link]
Business and Industry Database via UNCG library site:
[Link] Honda: [Link]

Forrester Research: your company may purchase studies here. Subaru of America: [Link]
[Link]
Revlon, how do we define beauty?
Influx Insights: consumer trends, [Link] [Link]
[Link]
Know This: source for marketers: [Link]

Customer Focused Marketing: [Link] Examples of selecting an outlet:

Nydia Han: Consumer Corner, WPVI – investigations of problems Kohls: [Link]

and deceptions:
[Link] Target: [Link]

SRI VALS: [Link] Suppose the outlet is the same as the brand:
[Link]
 Week Topics Readings Assignments & Activities
1. What does psychology, sociology, and Ch. 1: Buying, Having and Being ➢ Introductions & Syllabus
Module 1 anthropology have to do with the behaviors Overview
Jan 10 of consumers?
2. What is consumer behavior? ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Consumers
3. What is Marketing’s impact on consumers? in the Marketplace
4. What is the implication of the “dark side” of
consumer behavior?
Ch. 2: Consumer and Social Well Being
Module 2 1. Which values are most associated with ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Consumer
Jan 17 materialists? Linda L. Price, Eric J. Arnould, and Carolyn Folkman Curasi Social Well-Being
2. What can consumers expect to be private? (2000), “Older Consumers’ Disposition of Special Possessions,”
3. Why do consumers engage in harmful Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 27 (September), 179-201. ➢ Understanding Qualitative
behaviors? Research
4. What about Ethics? What about morals? Ganglmair-Wooliscroft, A., & Lawson, R. (2011). Subjective well-
being of different consumer lifestyle segments. Journal of Experiential Assignment Details
Macromarketing, 31(2), 172-183.
Team selection of topic area for
Read: Qualitative Research Methods Overview midterm & final project
Read: Qualitative Research Data Analysis and Interpretation

1. What is perception? Ch 3: Perception

Module 3 2. How do consumers perceive? ➢ Understanding Qualitative
Jan 24 3. Why is it important to understand sensory Morrin, Maureen and S. Ratneshwar (2003). “Does It Make Sense Research
threshold? to Use Scents to Enhance Brand Memory?” Journal of Marketing
4. Is subliminal perception real? Research, 40 (4). ➢ Roundtable: Consumer
5. Does subliminal advertising work? Qualitative Research-Motives and motivations for engaging in Perceptions
consumer behavior with irreversible consequences (sample
research paper – skim)
Instructions on Qualitative Research (skim each module)
➢ Lecture/Discussion: Consumer
Module 4 1. How does Pavlov’s salivating dog theory Ch 4: Learning & Memory Learning and Memory
Jan 31 relate to marketing communications? Krugman, Herbert.E., 1986. Low recall and high recognition of
2. How do we learn? advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, 26(1), pp.79-86. ➢ Roundtable: Influencers,
3. How strong is your short/long term Consumer Learning and
memory? Product Failure:
4. What do you tend to forget quickly?
What do you tend to hold onto long term? Due via email by 11pm: List
of articles and team member
responsibility
Module 5 1. What drives your level of involvement? Ch 5: Motivation and Affect ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Consumer
Feb 7 2. What patterns of behavior describe you? Wansink et al (2005). “Increasing the Acceptance of Soy-Based motivation and values
3. How does motivation and values relate to Foods” Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing 17 (1).
➢ Due: Individual Experiential
segmentation? “When it Pays to Buy Organic” [Link] Assignment – Upload by
6:30pm
Module 61. What is the self-concept? Ch 6: The Self: Mind, Gender and Body
Feb 14 2. How does the self-concept influence ➢ Lecture/Discussion: The Self
Gration, David, Maria Raciti and Charles Arcodia (2011) “The
consumer behavior?
Role of Consumer Self-Concept in Marketing Festivals,” Journal of
3. What is meant by extended self, and what Roundtable on Consumer
Travel and Tourism Marketing, 28, 644-655.
role does consumption play in this concept? Possession and the Extended Self
4. Why are sex roles important?
Module 7 1. What is psychographics? Ch 7: Personality, Lifestyles and Values ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Personality
Feb 21 2. Why should psychographics explain Ganglmair-Wooliscroft, A., & Lawson, R. (2011). Subjective well- Influence and Psychographics
consumer behaviors? being of different consumer lifestyle segments. Journal of
3. How does personality influence consumer Macromarketing, 31(2), 172-183. ➢ Roundtable on Consumer
behavioral responses? Psychographics
Module 8 1. How do we form our attitudes and how are Ch 8: Attitudes and Persuasive Communications
➢ Lecture/Discussion: Consumer
Feb 28 they changed? Attitudes & Persuasion
2. What is the significance of consumers’ “The Hidden (in Plain Sight) Persuaders” New York Times, 2004
attitudes for marketers? Due: Midterm Assignment –
3. Can attitudes predict behavior? York, E., (2010) “Celeb Dieters: What Happens When the Pounds
Upload by 6:30pm
4. What is the Elaboration likelihood model and Creep Back?” Advertising Age, February 15, pp. 10.
how does it relate to consumer involvement?
5. What makes a source credible?
March 3-11 SPRING BREAK NO CLASSES ENJOY!!
Module 9 1. How do we make decisions? Ch 9: Decision Making ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Consumer
March 14 2. Are decisions always rational? Why or why “How Companies Turn Buzz Into Sales” MIT Sloan Management Decision Making Process
not? Review
3. How does the online world influence our
decision making process? "The Buzz on Buzz," Harvard Business Review
4. How does decision making relate to the Self- “Making the Most of Customer Complaints” MIT Sloan Review, ➢ Roundtable: Buying Decision
concept? Personality? Values? Lifestyles? 2008 and Stereotypes
Module 10 1. What are the situational factors that affect Ch 10: Buying, Using and Disposing ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Buying,
March 21 consumer decision-making? O'Guinn, T. C., & Faber, R. J. (1989). Compulsive Buying: A Consuming and Disposing
2. How does the online world influence what Phenomenological Exploration. Journal of Consumer Research,
we buy and how we buy? 27(2) 147-157. ➢ Roundtable: Consumer Buying
3. How do consumers dispose of unwanted and Disposing
items? Linda L. Price, Eric J. Arnould, and Carolyn Folkman Curasi
(2000), “Older Consumers’ Disposition of Special Possessions,”
Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 27 (September), 179-201.
Module 11 1. What are reference groups and how do they Ch 11: Groups and Social Media ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Groups and
March 28 impact your purchase decisions? “Consumer Socialization of Children: A Retrospective Look at 25 Family Decision Making
2. Why do we conform? Years of Research” Journal of Consumer Research, December 1999
3. What are boomerang kids? ➢ Roundtable on Children
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite!
4. How do children influence purchase The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, Influence on Household
decisions? 53(1), 59-68. Decision Making

Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., & Silvestre, B. S.

(2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional
building blocks of social media. Business horizons, 54(3), 241-251.
Module 12 1. What is the difference between wealth and Ch 12: Income and Social Class
April 4 income? Long, M. M. and Fain, Deborah (2015), "The Clothing Swap: Lecture/Discussion: Social Class and
2. Which is a better predictor of consumer Social, Sustainable, and Sacred, “Atlantic Marketing Association Income
behavior; wealth or social class? Proceedings. Available at:
3. What is a taste culture? [Link]

Module 13 1. What is subculture? Microculture? What are Ch 13: Subcultures

April 11 the characteristics of each? Hispanic Shopping Behavior: Lecture/Discussion: Subcultures and
2. Why are Hispanic consumers attractive to Kaufman, Carol Felker and Sigfredo Hernandez (1991), "The Role Influences
marketers? of the Bodega in a U.S. Puerto Rican Community," Journal of
3. What is acculturation and how does it Retailing, 67, (4), 375-396.
happen? Subcultural Influences: ➢ Roundtable on Subcultures,
4. How do tribal gatherings represent a “’We Gather Together’: Consumption Rituals of Thanksgiving Perception and Advertising
marketing opportunity? Day,” Journal of Consumer Research, 18 (June), 13-31.
Module 14 1. What is a ritual and why is it of interest to Ch 14: Culture
April 18 marketers?
Cleveland, M., Laroche, M., & Takahashi, I. (2015). The ➢ Lecture/Discussion: Culture and
2. Distinguish between sacred and profane Cultural Diffusion
Intersection of Global Consumer Culture and National Identity
consumption?
and the Effect on Japanese Consumer Behavior. Journal of
3. What is advergaming and why is it important?
International Consumer Marketing, 27(5), 364-387.
4. What are cultural categories and how do they
influence product designs? Cowan, K., & Spielmann, N. (2017). The Influence of Rituals on
Luxury Product Consumption: Implications For Brands. Journal of
Brand Management, 24(5), 391-404.
“Building Brands in China”, McKinsey Quarterly, 2006
Module 15
Apr 25
Comprehension Check Exam
Module 16 Explore consumer perception of digital currency. 30 minutes allotted for the team
May 2 Team Research Presentations Explore consumer perception of genetically modified salmon in the US Each team member must
6:30-9:00pm food supply. present.
Explore consumer perception of teenage marijuana consumption.
Attendance is mandatory Explore consumer perception of opioid addiction in the US.