Page 1: Introduction

• Consumer Psychology - Dr. Hina Sheel

  • Credit for Lecture Content: Dr. Su Lu

  • Image License: CC BY-SA

Page 2: Learning Outcomes

• Understanding Consumer Psychology

• Requirements to become a Consumer Psychologist

• Importance of cognitive processes to Consumer Psychologists

• Examples of relevant studies

• Importance of Replication

Page 3: Overview of Consumer Psychology

• Definition: Studies how and why consumers think, behave, and respond to consumer-related stimuli.

• Application: Uses understanding of human behavior and mental processes for marketing and promotion of products.

• Interdisciplinary: Draws research findings from various disciplines.

Page 4: Understanding Consumer Behaviour

• Consumer behavior involves:

  1. Dynamic interaction of affect, cognition, behavior, and environment.

  2. Overt actions in the marketplace.

  3. Decision-making processes in exchanging goods and services (AMA Definition).

Page 5: Industry Reports

• JADIOR: Analysis on how shopping trends are changing.

Page 6: Definition of Consumption

• Consumption implies 'use of something' (Merriam‐Webster, 2022):

  • Examples: Electricity use, shopping, going to the theatre, etc.

  • Almost all behaviors in society tie back to consumption (Tatzel, 2003).

Page 7: Exercise Introduced

• Title: Analyzing Your Morning Routine

• Objective: Distinguish among three consumer responses: cognition, affect, behavior.

• Purpose: Highlight consumer insights from "boring" routines.

Page 8: Analyzing Your Morning Routine

• Grid Exercise: Document pre-COVID morning routine steps:

  • What I’m doing

  • How I’m feeling

  • What I’m thinking

  • Brands used and thoughts/feelings about them.

Page 9: Follow-Up Questions

• Changes in morning routines during the pandemic?

• Unpleasant or enjoyable parts of the routine?

• Ideas for products that improve routines.

Page 10: Context of Product Use

• Marketing shift from problem-solution to highlighting emotional aspects of products for men (Progressive Grocer).

• Changing breakfast habits during the pandemic.

Page 11: Morning Actions and Consumer Behavior

• Daily morning activities relate to purchased products:

  • Routine actions help transition from sleep to action.

  • Products used become virtually invisible over time.

Page 12: Breakfast Routine Analysis

• Discipline-Specific Questions:

  • Traditional Economist: Costs of breakfast out vs at home.

  • Motivational Psychologist: Unconscious needs tied to childhood breakfasts.

  • Social Psychologist: Influences of friends' breakfast habits.

  • Cognitive Psychologist: Underlying thoughts about breakfast products.

  • Sociologist: Demographic variations in breakfast choices.

  • Anthropologist: Rites associated with special breakfasts.

  • Behavioral Economist: Cognitive biases impacting choices.

Page 13: Lecture Outline

• Topics covered:

  • Importance of Consumer Psychology

  • Historical context

  • Meaning creation

  • Replication crisis

  • Future trends

Page 14: Breakfast Trends During the Pandemic

Page 15: Breakfast Habits Post-Pandemic

• Stats: 56% Americans too busy for breakfast.

• Work-from-home changes meal preparation.

• Home cooking increased by 38% from 2019 (60% still eat breakfast regularly).

Page 16: Breakfast Item Trends

• Home consumption growth from 2019 to 2020:

  • Pancakes +25%

  • Waffles +20%

  • Sausage +16%

  • Bacon +15%

  • Cereal +11%

Page 17: Comfort Food Choices

• Breakfast items seen as comfort food; demand has risen.

• Many Americans are opting for healthier options.

Page 18: Reasons for Prioritizing Breakfast

• Majority of people prioritize breakfast for:

  • Satisfying hunger (57%)

  • Starting the day positively (51%)

  • Sustaining energy (47%)

  • Health benefits: nutrient intake and reduced health risks.

Page 19: Reasons for Skipping Breakfast

• Common reasons:

  • Lack of time (32%)

  • Not feeling hungry (29%)

  • Food not prepared (14%)

• Preference for extra sleep over cooking.

Page 20: Consumer Preferences for Breakfast Items

• Growing interest in convenient, ready-to-eat breakfast options.

Page 21: Market Research Findings

• Results from survey targeting consumer breakfast preparation habits and preferences.

Page 22: Consumer Psychology as a Discipline

Page 23: Historical Context

• APA's addition of consumer psychology in 1962.

• Key historical figures in marketing psychology research.

Page 24: William James' Contributions

• Explored meanings attached to possessions; ties between self-identity and possessions.

Page 25: John B. Watson's Influence

• Uncovered emotional appeals in advertising and consumer purchases.

Page 26: Connections to Dual Processing

• James' dual processing theories laid groundwork for System 1 and System 2 thinking.

Page 27: Types of Consumption

• Consumption behavior linked to social behavior; critical implications for sustainability.

• Consumer decisions are affected by dual processing systems.

Page 28: System 1 vs. System 2 Thinking

• System 1: Fast, instinctive, autopilot decisions.

• System 2: Slow, deliberative, and analytical decisions.

Page 30: Careers in Consumer Psychology

Page 31: Roles in Consumer Psychology

• Variations in titles but deep understanding of consumer behavior required for roles in academia and industry.

Page 32: Path to Becoming a Consumer Psychologist

• Undergraduate in psychology or related field; possible MSc or PhD.

Page 33: Academic Career Path

• Post-docs and lecturer roles: research responsibilities and student engagement.

Page 34: Industry Work for Consumer Psychologists

• Roles involve understanding consumer needs and informing marketing strategies.

Page 35: Market Research Opportunities

Page 36: Job Requirements in Market Research

• Emphasis on various research methodologies and experience in statistics.

Page 38: Conducting Research in Consumer Psychology

• Predominance of quantitative research; need for paradigms that suit different cultures.

Page 39: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research

• Most literature focused on quantitative metrics, yet qualitative approaches yield valuable insights.

Page 40: Cultural Influences on Consumer Behavior

• Culture impacts consumer choices; significant impacts on weddings as a case study.

Page 41: Areas of Consumer Psychology

Page 42: Understanding Cognition

• Cognition and its processes play a vital role in consumer psychology.

Page 44: Attention in Consumer Behavior

• Attention is crucial amidst increasing marketing message clutter; involves visual selective attention.

Page 45: Techniques for Capturing Attention

• Novelty and vivid messages enhance cognitive engagement and memory retention.

Page 46: Perception in Consumer Behavior

• Perception involves rapid interpretation of stimuli; influenced by gestalt psychology principles.

Page 48: Memory Types in Consumer Psychology

• Understanding different content types within long-term memory: semantic, procedural, autobiographical.

Page 50: Semantic Memory Understanding

• Semantic memory holds key knowledge; involves associative networks guiding comprehension of brand meanings.

Page 52: Organized Memory Schemas

• Schemas facilitate knowledge organization about concepts; applicable in consumer perception.

Page 54: Action Sequences in Memory

• Scripts help consumers navigate familiar actions driven by learned behaviors and marketing efforts.

Page 56: Autobiographical Memory Insights

• Emotional coloring affects our personal memories, altering accuracy of recall.

Page 57: Priming in Behavior

• Environmental cues lead to subtle changes in cognition and behavior without conscious awareness.

Page 60: Sensory Marketing Overview

• Highlights the role of the five senses in shaping consumer perceptions and experiences.

Page 61: Constructive Process of Perception

• Our perception is influenced by expectations and systematic biases, notably in advertising.

Page 62: Logo Shape Inferences

• Experiments link perceptions of comfort or durability based on logo shapes used in ads.

Page 64: Alcohol Consumption and Visual Cues

• Glass shape and size impact how much alcohol consumers drink based on visual drivers.

Page 66: Sound and Music in Marketing

• Music influences consumer perception of target markets and product categories.

Page 67: Scent Marketing Innovations

• Scent enhances marketing; marketers have long known the impact of olfactory engagement on sales.

Page 69: Matching Scent to Demographic

• Research shows gender-appropriate scents in retail can improve customer engagement and product selections.

Page 71: Touch and Consumer Choices

• Touch conveys information and influences consumer decisions based on tactile sensations.

Page 73: Digital Sensory Marketing

• Understanding sensory impacts in online environments is becoming increasingly significant for engagement.

Page 74: Taste Perception

• Taste perception closely aligns with smell and visual input; factors including marketing shape how we perceive flavor.

Page 76: Importance of Brand Meaning

• Consumers develop relationships with brands that reflect their identities; social responsibility is increasingly expected.

Page 78: Neuromarketing Insights

• Exploration of how brain responses to marketing influence consumer decisions; research highlights cognitive biases driven by branding.

Page 80: Study on Coke vs. Pepsi

• Research illustrates how prior brand knowledge influences taste perception and associated brain activity.

Page 82: The Replication Crisis in Psychology

• Challenges in replicating psychological studies raise concerns about scientific rigor.

Page 84: Replication Study Success Rates

• Few marketing studies successfully replicated, highlighting issues in experimental consistency.

Page 86: Importance of Reliable Research

• Trust in psychological research hinges on ability to replicate findings and uphold scientific integrity.

Page 88: Understanding NHST

• Basics of null hypothesis significance testing and its implications on research outcomes.

Page 90: Physical Warmth and Interpersonal Warmth Connection

• Previous studies indicated physical warmth positively influences how people perceive warmth in others.

Page 92: The Lab Replication Project

• Investigated replicated findings in psychology, revealing significant replication failures across studies.

Page 94: Insights from Pre-registered Replications

• Identified patterns of statistical significance and effect size variations in replicated studies.

Page 96: Causes of the Replication Crisis

• Factors including publication bias and low statistical power contributors to crises in research credibility.

Page 98: Questionable Research Practices

• Issues like p-hacking and HARKing undermine research integrity and reliability.

Page 100: Addressing Low Statistical Power in Studies

• Highlighted challenges in achieving sufficient statistical power; larger sample sizes can mitigate these issues.

Page 102: Issues of Scientific Misconduct

• Case of Dr. Brian Wansink exemplifies the consequences of data fabrications and questionable research practices.

Page 105: Future Directions

• Emphasis on understanding omnichannel consumer experiences and environmentally sustainable choices.

Page 108: Consumer Decision-Making Challenges

• Illustrates consumer difficulty balancing immediate convenience with sustainable choices.