• Describe and discuss the various concepts in consumer psychology.
• Be able to apply the consumer psychology concepts to identify and explain consumers‘ behaviors and choices.
• Present a clear and coherent argument for your choice of relevant theories and models.
• Critically assess the value and relevance of models, concepts and theories presented throughout the course.
• Identify and discuss practical implications and limitations of applying specific theories, models, and concepts from the course.
• To follow academic conventions in the written presentation.

Be it the purchase of a smartphone, of a luxury bag or a holiday destination, the foundation of an organization's success lies in understanding how consumers think, feel, choose, and consume products and services. In most cases, the answer to these questions can be obtained by drawing on the extensive field of psychology. Over the last two decades, marketing researchers and managers have increasingly recognized the potential of psychology to understand consumer behavior. This course is designed to help students become curious discoverers and astute thinkers for consumption phenomena and challenges that organizations face. The consumer psychology course provides a comprehensive coverage of theories, concepts and management tools to understand the “minds, hearts and motives” of consumers.

The topics discussed in this course can be grouped in four broad psychology clusters. Each cluster comprises various consumer psychology applications:

Attitude, Motivation and Personality

• Image and Brand Personality
• Mental Processing and Decision-Making
• Consumer Motivations and Goals (e.g., Hedonism and Utilitarianism)

Emotions, Feelings and Moods

• Consumer-Brand Relationships (e.g. Brand Love)
• The Influence  of Emotions on Judgment and Decision-Making
• Sensory Marketing

Evolutionary psychology

• Evolutionary Needs and Consumer Behavior
• Luxury and Status Consumption
• Sexual Signaling Consumption

Stereotyping, Culture and Intergroup Behavior

• Country Biases: Ethnocentrism, Animosity, Disidentification, Affinity
• Country-of-origin and Destination Image
• Consumer Identities and Values

Plus wrap-up session involving the topics of 'Psychology of Design', 'Consumer Well-Being' and 'Nudging'.

Selected texts from the course:

Aaker, J., Garbinsky, E. N., & Vohs, K. (2011). Cultivating admiration in brands: Warmth, competence, and landing in the 'Golden Quadrant'. Journal of Consumer Psychology.

Batra, R., Ahuvia, A., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2012). Brand love. Journal of Marketing, 76(2), 1-16.

Dunn, E. W., Gilbert, D. T., & Wilson, T. D. (2011). If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21(2), 115-125.

Fournier, S., & Alvarez, C. (2011). Brands as relationship partners: Warmth, competence, and in-between. Journal of Consumer Psychology.

Griskevicius, V., & Kenrick, D. T. (2013). Fundamental motives: How evolutionary needs influence consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 23(3), 372-386.

Josiassen, A. (2011). Consumer disidentification and its effects on domestic product purchases: An empirical investigation in the Netherlands. Journal of Marketing, 75(2), 124-140.

Klein, J. G., Ettenson, R., & Morris, M. D. (1998). The animosity model of foreign product purchase: An empirical test in the People's Republic of China. The Journal of Marketing, 89-100.

Pham, M. T. (2004). The logic of feeling. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14(4).

Wang, Y., & Griskevicius, V. (2014). Conspicuous consumption, relationships, and rivals: Women's luxury products as signals to other women. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(5), 834-854.