Mgmt 385
Consumer & Buyer Behavior
Paul A. Scipione, Ph.D.
How do individual consumers, couples and families make decisions about what to buy and consume? How do businesses make decisions about what to purchase? This course focuses on theories, models and real-world situations that explain how the economy works, not from the standpoint of companies, but from the perspective of consumers. Major topics include: the EKB Model; High-Involvement vs. Low-Involvement purchase decisions; planned vs. impulse purchases; problem recognition; information searches and alternative brand evaluation; point-of-purchase factors; post-purchase processes, including Cognitive Dissonance and Attribution Theory; personal values and lifestyles; memory, learning and perception; consumer motivation and emotion; Attitude-Behavior Consistency; the affects of advertising and promotion; cultural and cross-cultural perspectives; social class and reference groups; and within-household decision dynamics. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on the rights and protection of consumers.
Elective Course; 3 credit hours