Consumer Behavior

MKCB 4462
Hoang Kim Chuong
Email: hoangkimchuong@yahoo.com.sg
Phone: 0908935277
Class Time(s): MON-SAT. 13:30-17:00, 50 min. session, 10 min. break each.
Classroom: A301
Office Hours: 30 min.
Office: A301
Text: Solomon, Michael R. Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being,
Tenth Edition.
Course description and goals:
A successful marketing strategy must be built around an understanding of
consumers. Even the most intricate strategy runs the risk of being useless if it
ignores some fundamental facts about how people perceive and process
information, make decisions, and form attitudes. Using lectures, examples,
and discussions, this course will build upon research in psychology,
marketing, and other social sciences to help you understand why consumers
act as they do. As we learn how to characterize and predict consumer
behavior, we will discuss implications for designing and implementing
marketing strategies.
A vital component of the course will be a focus on the research process.
We will not only examine what is known about consumer behavior, but we will
also explore how researchers have arrived at these conclusions. This should
help you better understand the topics we cover and should also leave you
better prepared to critically evaluate (and perhaps conduct) consumer
research in the future.
Specifically, completion of this course will provide you with:

A foundation in basic consumer psychology.

An understanding of the numerous variables that comprise and affect
consumer behavior.
Insight into how to investigate consumer behavior.
Insight into the strategies that are most likely to reach, inform, and persuade
consumers.
Insight into the consumers who surround you, such as your friends, your
family, and yourself.
Student learning outcomes:
This course addresses the following student learning outcomes:

Consumer behavior: Students will develop an understanding of consumer

perceptions, motivations and decision processes, as well as social influence in
the marketplace.
Critical thinking skills: Students will apply their substantive knowledge to
marketing situations (such as those in the group project) in an analytic
manner.
Communication skills: Students will effectively produce, interpret, and
analyze written text, oral messages, and multi-media presentations used in
business.
Course format and expectations:
The course will be a mix of lecture and discussion. Everyones thoughtful
participation is required to make the discussions productive, but I would like
the lectures to be as interactive as possible. As such, I expect each of you
to attend each class and to be prepared. Prior to class, you should complete
the assigned reading, noting the questions that you have. You should also
think about how the reading fits with the topics covered to date, and try to
recall recent marketing examples that demonstrate awareness of the
principles addressed in the readings.
Evaluation:
Your grade will be based upon the following criteria, described in more
detail below:
2 Exams (100 points each)
200 points
1 Group Project (written report and
35 points (WR) + 20
presentation)
points (P)
Class Participation (including quizzes)
45 points
Total possible points
300 points
The following scale will be used for converting from total points to letter
grades (note that final grades may be curved if necessary).
Total Points (out of
300)
285 and up
270 284
240 269
210 239
195 209
180 194
Below 180

Grad
e
A
AB*
C*
D+
D
F

*For grades B and C, plus grades will be awarded to those in the top 1/3rd of the
point range (e.g.
scores of 260-269 will receive a B+). Minus grades will be awarded to those in the
bottom 1/3rd of the point range (e.g. scores of 240-249 will receive a B-).

Exams:
There are two exams that cumulatively constitute 2/3 of your total grade
(see pp. 5 and 6 for dates). The final exam is partially cumulative, meaning
that some topics covered before the 1st midterm will also be included in the
final exam. I will announce these additional topics as the final exam date
draws near.
All exams are closed-book, and they will draw from lectures, discussions,
and readings. The exams will feature a range of question types, such as
multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and longer answer. The exams
are designed to be rigorous: they will require you to integrate and synthesize
the covered content in order to solve new and challenging problems. More
specific information will be given prior to each exam to help you prepare.
Exams may be curved if necessary.
Assignments and Projects:
You will complete a group project designed to help you gain experience
with the course material by developing strategies for researching consumer
behavior. You will also gain practice communicating your ideas clearly and
concisely. More specific instructions and grading criteria will be given later in
the semester, but some preliminary words about the group project:
Groups will design and implement a consumer research project, and they
will communicate their findings in a written report (worth 35 points) and an
oral presentation (worth 20 points). I will divide the class into groups of 4 or
5. It is your responsibility to develop a mutually convenient plan to work
together. Your group grade will reflect the quality of the report and the
presentation; your individual grade may be adjusted by other members
assessments of your efforts, which I will collect at the end of the semester.
Class Participation:
You can earn up to 45 points for class participation (15% of your total
grade). Attending class and being prepared is necessary to get the full set of
points, but is not sufficient. I want you to give thoughtful contributions and
examples. Points will be assigned based on the quality, not the sheer
quantity, of your contributions.
Note that you start the semester with zero points for class participation,
and work your way up over the course of the semester by meaningfully
contributing to class discussions, rather than starting at 45 points and
missing points for lack of participation.
Performance on short pop-quizzes will count toward your total class
participation points. Because these pop-quizzes are intended to serve as a
proxy for attendance, they will be open book and open-notes. Expect to have
5 to 10 pop-quizzes over the course of the semester.

Extra Credit:
The exams may offer extra credit points for answering specific extra
questions. Also, you may be able to earn extra credit by participating in
research experiments. I will let you know if and when this opportunity arises.
There will not be any opportunities to receive additional extra credit by
completing extra papers or projects at the end of the semester. With this in
mind, it would be wise to take advantage of extra credit whenever it is
offered.
Missed Exams:
If an emergency will cause you to miss an exam, you must contact me
prior to the exam to arrange for a make-up. No make-up exams will be
given if arrangements are not made before the exam. Missed exams will earn
0 points. No early exams will be given.
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct:
All individual assignments must be completed by the student
herself/himself, and all team assignments must be completed by the
members of the team, without the aid of other individuals. If a team member
does not contribute to the written documents or participate in the activities of
the team, her/his name should not appear on the work submitted for
evaluation.
Failure to adhere to expected behavior may result in disciplinary action.
A final note:
Most of this syllabus is necessarily formal, but the class sessions need not
be. The class should be engaging and interesting for everyone: In addition to
being important to marketing, consumer behavior consists of many topics to
which we all, as consumers, can relate. I encourage everyone to bring up
relevant examples and to ask questions at any point.

Course Schedule
(Amount of time spent on each topic may change slightly.)
Day
Week 1

Week 2

Topic
Part 1: Introduction
Introduction to Consumer Behavior
Consumer Behavior Research Methods
Part 2: Pre-Decision
Processes
Exposure and Attention
Perception and Comprehension

Read for Class

(no reading)
Chapter 1

Chapter 2
Chapter 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Attitudes and Attitude Formation

Group Project Instructions Distributed

Chapter 7 (through
the top of p. 288)

Attitude Change: Learning

Attitude Change: Persuasion

Chapter 3
(through p. 117, 9th )
Chapter 7

Attitude Change: Persuasion (continued)

Attitude Change: Self-Persuasion

Chapter 7
(no reading)

Attitude Change: SelfPersuasion Team Organization

Form due
Midterm
Exam covers part 1 and part 2.
Part 3: Consumer Decision Processes
Decision Making: Introduction, Stages, and
Consumer Judgment
Consumer Choice
More Consumer Judgment and Choice
Post Choice
Social Influence and Decisions:
Conformity Pressures and Power
Social Influence and Decisions:
Reference Groups and Word of Mouth
Social Influence and Decisions (Contd)
Part 4: Differences Between
Consumers
Group, Organizational, and Family Decisions /
Satisfaction
Branding / Personality and Motivation

Segmentation
Part 5: Final Topics
All Group Written Reports Due
Group Presentations
More Group Presentations
TBA
Final Exam
Exam covers parts 3, 4 and 5 as well as
selected topics from parts 1 & 2.

Week 7

(no reading)
Study!

Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
(no reading)
(no reading)
Chapter 11
Chapter 11

Chapters 10 and 9
Chapter 6 (through
p. 251), Chapter 4
(through the bottom
of p. 171)
Chapter 6 (p. 251
end), Chapter 12

Due
(no reading)
Study!