Handbook of Consumer Psychology


Book Description

This Handbook contains a unique collection of chapters written by the world's leading researchers in the dynamic field of consumer psychology. Although these researchers are housed in different academic departments (ie. marketing, psychology, advertising, communications) all have the common goal of attaining a better scientific understanding of cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to products and services, the marketing of these products and services, and societal and ethical concerns associated with marketing processes. Consumer psychology is a discipline at the interface of marketing, advertising and psychology. The research in this area focuses on fundamental psychological processes as well as on issues associated with the use of theoretical principles in applied contexts. The Handbook presents state-of-the-art research as well as providing a place for authors to put forward suggestions for future research and practice. The Handbook is most appropriate for graduate level courses in marketing, psychology, communications, consumer behavior and advertising.




The Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Psychology


Book Description

In the last two years, consumers have experienced massive changes in consumption – whether due to shifts in habits; the changing information landscape; challenges to their identity, or new economic experiences of scarcity or abundance. What can we expect from these experiences? How are the world's leading thinkers applying both foundational knowledge and novel insights as we seek to understand consumer psychology in a constantly changing landscape? And how can informed readers both contribute to and evaluate our knowledge? This handbook offers a critical overview of both fundamental topics in consumer psychology and those that are of prominence in the contemporary marketplace, beginning with an examination of individual psychology and broadening to topics related to wider cultural and marketplace systems. The Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Psychology, 2nd edition, will act as a valuable guide for teachers and graduate and undergraduate students in psychology, marketing, management, economics, sociology, and anthropology.




The Psychology of Consumer Behavior


Book Description

After years of study in the area of consumer behavior, Mullen and Johnson bring together a broad survey of small answers to a big question: "Why do consumers do what they do?" This book provides an expansive, accessible presentation of current psychological theory and research as it illuminates fundamental issues regarding the psychology of consumer behavior. The authors hypothesize that an improved understanding of consumer behavior could be employed to more successfully influence consumers' use of products, goods, and services. At the same time, an improved understanding of consumer behavior might be used to serve as an advocate for consumers in their interactions in the marketplace.




Online Consumer Psychology


Book Description

Online Consumer Psychology addresses many of the issues created by the Internet and goes beyond the topic of advertising and the Web to include topics such as customization, site design, word of mouth processes, and the study of consumer decision making while online. The theories and research methods help provide greater insight into the processes underlying consumer behavior in online environments. Broken into six sections, this book: focuses on community and looks at the Internet's ability to bring like-minded individuals from around the world into one forum; examines issues related to advertising, specifically click-through rates and advertising content placed within gaming online and wireless networks; provides readers with reasons why consumers customize products and the benefits of customization; discusses the psychological effects of site design; asks the question of whether the Internet empowers consumers to make better decisions; and discusses research tools that can be used online.




Consumer Psychology


Book Description

Psychology is central to an effective understanding of consumption behaviours. The aim of this book is to provide an overall understanding for why people consume certain products and services and how this affects their behaviour and psychological well being.




Decoding the New Consumer Mind


Book Description

Take a glimpse into the mind of the modern consumer A decade of swift and stunning change has profoundly affected the psychology of how, when, and why we shop and buy. In Decoding the New Consumer Mind, award-winning consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow shares surprising insights about the new motivations and behaviors of shoppers, taking marketers where they need to be today: into the deeply psychological and often unconscious relationships that people have with products, retailers, marketing communications, and brands. Drawing on hundreds of consumer interviews and shop-alongs, Yarrow reveals the trends that define our transformed behavior. For example, when we shop we show greater emotionality, hunting for more intense experiences and seeking relief and distraction online. A profound sense of isolation and individualism shapes the way we express ourselves and connect with brands and retailers. Neurological research even suggests that our brains are rewired, altering what we crave, how we think, and where our attention goes. Decoding the New Consumer Mind provides marketers with practical ways to tap into this new consumer psychology, and Yarrow shows how to combine technology and innovation to enhance brand image; win love and loyalty through authenticity and integrity; put the consumer’s needs and preferences front and center; and deliver the most emotionally intense, yet uncomplicated, experience possible. Armed with Yarrow’s strategies, marketers will be able to connect more effectively with consumers—driving profit and success across the organization.




Becoming a Consumer Psychologist


Book Description

Written by two scholars at the forefront of conducting research on the psychology of consumers and mentoring those new to the field, Becoming a Consumer Psychologist provides a guide to what it takes to become a consumer psychologist, and achieve success in this area. Monga and Bagchi lay out the varied experiences that lead one to be a consumer psychologist in academia, marketing, or public policy. The book discusses the academic route in detail, guiding you on how to apply to schools, including for a Ph.D., what courses to take, and what to expect during your educational experience and after. It also discusses other routes that lead to diverse non-academic career paths in which practitioners apply their knowledge about consumer psychology. The authors' guidance is backed by their own experiences as consumer psychology researchers, mentors, and journal Associate Editors; and the insights that the authors have gathered exclusively for this book from 23 other leading academics and practitioners. This book is essential reading for anyone looking to start their career in consumer psychology, and for mentors and advisors who are guiding students about career choices.




Handbook of Research Methods in Consumer Psychology


Book Description

What impact can various research methods have on consumer psychology? How can they help us understand the workings of the consumer mind? And how can the field of consumer psychology best utilize these methods? In the Handbook of Research Methods in Consumer Psychology, leading consumer psychologists summarize key aspects of the research process and explain how different methods enrich understanding of how consumers process information to form judgments and opinions and to make consumption-related decisions. Kardes, Herr, and Schwarz provide an in-depth analysis of the scientific research methods needed to understand consumption-related judgments and decisions. The book is split into five parts, demonstrating the breadth of the volume: classic approaches, contemporary approaches, online research methods, data analysis, and philosophy of science. A variety of leading researchers give insight into a wide range of topics, reflecting both long-standing debate and more recent developments in the field to encourage discussion and the advancement of consumer research. The Handbook of Research Methods in Consumer Psychology is essential reading for researchers, students, and professionals interested in consumer psychology and behavior.




Consumer Behavior over the Life Course


Book Description

This book examines consumer behavior using the “life course” paradigm, a multidisciplinary framework for studying people's lives, structural contexts, and social change. It contributes to marketing research by providing new insights into the study of consumer behavior and illustrating how to apply the life course paradigm’s concepts and theoretical perspectives to study consumer topics in an innovative way. Although a growing number of marketing researchers, either implicitly or explicitly, subscribe to life course perspectives for studying a variety of consumer behaviors, their efforts have been limited due to a lack of theories and methods that would help them study consumers over the lifecycle. When studying consumers over their lifespan, researchers examine differences in the consumer behaviors of various age groups (e.g., children, baby boomers, elderly, etc.) or family life stages (e.g., bachelors, full nesters, empty nesters, etc.), inferring that consumer behavior changes over time or linking consumption behaviors to previous experiences and future expectations. Such efforts, however, have yet to benefit from an interdisciplinary research approach. This book fills this gap in consumer research by informing readers about the differences between some of the most commonly used models for studying consumers over their lifespan and the life course paradigm, and providing implications for research, public policy, and marketing practice. Presenting applications of the life course approach in such research topics as decision making, maladaptive behaviors (e.g., compulsive buying, binge eating), consumer well-being, and cognitive decline, this book is beneficial for students, scholars, professors, practitioners, and policy makers in consumer behavior, consumer research, consumer psychology, and marketing research.




Consumer Psychology in a Social Media World


Book Description

Consumer Psychology in a Social Media World seeks to illustrate the relevance of consumer psychology theory and research to understanding the social media world that has rapidly become a key component in the social and economic lives of most individuals. Despite the rapid and widespread adoption of social media by consumers, research focused on individuals’ use thereof and its implications for organizations and society has been limited and published in scattered outlets. This has made it difficult for those trying to get either a quick introduction or an in-depth understanding of the associated issues to locate relevant scientific-based information. The book is organized into five broad sections. The first presents a summary overview of social media, including a historical and cultural perspective. The second section is focused on social media as a modern form of word of mouth, always considered the most impactful on consumers. It also touches upon a motivational explanation for why social media has such a strong and broad appeal. Section three addresses the impact that consumers’ switch to social media as a preferred channel has had on marketers’ branding and promotional efforts, as well as the ways in which consumer involvement can be maintained through this process. Section four takes a methodological perspective on the topic of social media, assessing ways in which big data and consumer research are influenced by novel ways of gathering consumer feedback and gauging consumer sentiment. Finally, section five looks at some consumer welfare and public policy implications, including privacy and disadvantaged consumer concerns. Consumer Psychology in a Social Media World will appeal to those who are involved in creating, managing, and evaluating products used in social media communications. As seen in recent financial and business market successes (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, WhatsApp, etc.), businesses focused on facilitating social media are part of the fastest growing and most valuable sector of today’s economy.




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